Why In Shadows I Hide
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: X-Men/Phantom mix: Charles Xavier has sensed an unusual mutant living in Paris. Taking his foster daughter, Annora, with him to check it out might just prove interesting for everyone.
1. Born Different

Disclaimer: Anything _**Phantom**_ and _**X-Men**_ related are not mine. Only original characters belong to me, so if you want to use my O/C's please ask first. Thanks.

AN: Here it is, another _**Phantom of the Opera**_ story, but mixed with the _**X-Men**_. This has both the movie and comic-TV show versions of our favorite mutants, but hopefully I didn't mess it up too badly. Basically, it is the cartoon's storyline and _**X-Men**_, but with the physical actors portraying the characters. However, Scott will be taller than in the movie, and Rogue will be at least 5-10 years older. Plus, Rogue and Gambit will probably have that little "romance thing" going on between them; there won't be any Rogue/Iceman in this story. Sorry. And the school will be like the one in the movies, with lots of students and the X-Men teaching classes.

Also, I would like to mention that I hope that my fictional character is unique. She has several mutant powers, and I'm praying that I'm not copying any of the original comic book X-Men. If so, it is pure coincidence, I didn't mean to do it, and I'm making no money off of this, so it should be okay.

PS: The lead O/C female's name is pronounced (at least in my mind) "Ah-Nor-Ra," and it's a real name. I thought it sounded cool, so I chose it. It sounds pretty, doesn't it? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and will review. Thanks!

**Chapter 1: Born Different**:

Her parents hadn't wanted her.

Oh, they'd been thrilled when they found out about the pregnancy, and had welcomed her into the world with prideful smiles and laughter. They had named her Annora, a variant of the name Honora, meaning honor, and had hovered over her crib as she fell asleep in it for the first time. They decided to nickname her "Nora." Finally, they were a happy family.

Sadly, it didn't last.

A year later, odd things began to happen. Objects moved on their own, gradually floating over to the eager, grabbing hands of little Nora. Her mother had almost fainted, and her father had cursed when they realized what she was. Their little Nora was a mutant.

Unsure of what to do, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews sat down to try and sort things out. Their daughter was only a baby, barely a toddler. She was already learning to walk, and would be enough of a handful without toys and bottles floating around whenever Nora wanted something. Frightened, her mother knew she couldn't handle that, and her father didn't want anyone to get hurt when things, literally, went flying.

Driven to the brink of their wits, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews decided to give their child up for adoption, hoping that someone would take Nora in and put up with her powers. They didn't have the chance to put their plans into action.

On the east coast of the United States, in a hidden chamber beneath his mansion, Professor Charles Xavier detected the existence of little Nora Andrews by using his machine known as Cerebro, a device that allowed him to sense every mutant on the planet. Surprised at the youthful age and strength of the girl, he traveled to the Andrews' residence and cautiously approached the worried and fearful parents.

"Your daughter is one of the rare mutants who are born with their gifts," he told them. "Normally, they develop their powers when they reach puberty, but occasionally, they are born with powers, or develop them early. Your daughter is one of those few."

He carefully watched both parents' expressions. "She will need a great deal of guidance and teaching in order to keep her powers focused and in control. I can help with that."

Xavier wasn't surprised when they practically thrust the child into his arms, telling him that he was welcome to her; he read it in their minds and on their faces, their fear and their desire to be rid of a child with powers they didn't understand. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the confused little girl in his lap.

Knowing that Nora faced great difficulties in her future, Professor Xavier took the toddler and left, never to see the Andrews couple again.

* * *

Watching his daughter practice in the training room, Charles felt a swell of pride swell inside him. She was coming along better than he'd hoped, and he'd done his best to raise her right. As it was, Annora, codenamed Halo, had turned out quite well,

Her dark brown hair flying out behind her, Halo ducked out of the way as an attack robot came at her, launching a barrage of bullets at the glowing force field that protected her. It was amazing how strong Annora's shields could be: from the careful testing they'd done so far, she could be in the direct path of a missile launcher and come out the winner if fired upon. However, when it came to rockets released from air crafts, the best she could do was deflect them and pray that they never hit her directly. After that, she'd be made into a pile of human pudding.

"Concentrate, Halo," Xavier called into the microphone in front of him. "You can do better."

Then again, she had been at this for nearly two hours, and at various training levels. She'd earned a break after this sequence. Xavier pushed a few buttons on the control panel before going back to watching his daughter adjust her tactics.

Focusing on the attacking droid, Annora's eyes narrowed as a hand lashed out, releasing a telekinetic force that was like a brick wall. The droid staggered back, one arm loosely hanging by the shoulder and the front highly caved in, but it was still functioning. It fired at her once more, but her shielding held. Another blast of telekinetic energy, and the robot was scrap metal.

Rolling her eyes, she looked up at the observation window. "You did that on purpose," she said with a slightly impish pout. "You know you're not supposed to do that!"

Though she couldn't see it through the observation glass, Charles smiled fondly at her. "You've been at this for a while, Halo," Xavier gently chided her. "Remember what I said about overusing your gifts: If you drain yourself too much, they will fail you when you need them most."

Annora sighed and nodded. "Yes, Father."

She was not being snide when she said that; Annora had called Charles 'father' for many years and always meant it affectionately. For some reason, she never wanted to call him 'dad,' 'daddy,' or even 'papa.' Her explanation was that it was a show of respectful and love, and he accepted that. Besides, Charles rather liked it.

Pleased with the outcome of the exercise, Xavier wheeled himself out of the observation room and headed for the entrance to the Danger Room, reaching it just as the doors opened. He and his daughter met in the hallway and both made their way to the area that housed the usual things needed for after a 'workout.' There, using her telekinetic powers, Annora called a towel to her hand and wiped the sweat from her face, as another hand summoned a bottle of water. Once she was rehydrated and relatively dry, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of Charles's bald head.

"Well done, dear girl," he said, reaching up to pat her face. "But I'm afraid you still smell rather foul, so you'd best clean up before dinner."

"Yes, Father," she said with a sigh. Not saying another word, she made her way to the showers to clean up.

Shaking his head, the founder of the X-Men aimed his chair towards the elevator that would take him to the upper most levels of the mansion. Of course, Annora knew she wasn't his birth daughter. She had been told the hard truth years ago: that her mother and father hadn't wanted a mutant for a child, and had passed her off to Charles in order to get rid of her. She had slowly grown to accept this truth, because the world was full of fear, and her natural birth family hadn't the courage to raise a child with "special needs."

After taking her under his wing, Charles had been determined to teach Annora everything he could about controlling her powers. What he hadn't counted on, however, was that, over time, she began developing not only telekinesis, but also the ability to generate glowing force fields, the rare ability of flight, and a dash of telepathy. All these gifts combined made her a very powerful mutant indeed.

First, her telekinesis grew quickly, sometimes causing Charles to grow fearful that she would act out of control, especially when she grew emotional. Luckily, Annora's grip on her abilities in that area was sound, and the only time she 'lost it' was when she was angry and _really_ wanted to break something, which was rare. Annora was very good at keeping hold of her temper.

The power that had earned her the nickname/codename of Halo had manifested just before her fifth birthday. One night, in the darkness of her room, Charles discovered that Annora had started to glow with a soft golden light. Concerned, he'd taken her to the laboratory hidden beneath the mansion and scanned her for the possibility of radiation; it would not be the first time a mutant developed a dangerously radioactive power.

Luckily, the results had been negative, but the glow remained. Annora seemed to like it, since she didn't like the dark, and had quickly grown accustomed to it. Since then, whenever she called on her light generating ability, she focused it to form a golden ball above her head, illuminating not only her, but also her surroundings. The ball of light resembled the halos drawn over the head of angels, and so Xavier had dubbed her 'Halo,' making it her codename. She thought it silly, and thought that 'Aura' would have been better; much to her disappointment, Halo stuck.

And as though those gifts weren't enough, Annora began developing other abilities as she grew older.

Her glowing force field came into play when she was eight-years-old, on a day that Charles had decided to take her out to play in the park. It was a lovely day, and he had watched her carefully as she settled herself into the sandbox. She had been happily building a sand mountain when some of the other children had decided to pick on her as a form of amusement. Those children had quickly learned their lesson on _not_ to be bullies.

Charles smiled at the memory. Annora had noticed the strange looks the children had been giving her, and had been frightened at the thought of being hurt. As one of the little boys tried to pounce on her, he hit what felt like an invisible wall and slid to the side. The others thought that he'd tripped, and tried to finish what he'd started. They also failed, and within five minutes, Charles was wheeling away from the scene, a happy and unhurt Annora in his lap, and a gaggle of crying and confused children sitting in the sandbox. The two of them never returned to that particular park again.

After further study of this new power, Xavier determined that his daughter's force field was an extension of her glowing ability. By the time she was thirteen, this particular power had strengthened to its maximum potential, making it so that she could protect a group of people under her shield when things turned dangerous. It was really quite handy, and had kept her and other X-Men safe on several missions.

By now, the elevator had reached the top floor. Using the remote on his wheelchair, Charles headed for the window that overlooked the basketball court. Several of his students were there, playing under Cyclops's strict gaze. Charles sat there for a good while, watching the teams and the players with a sense of contentment.

The sound of moving air reached his ears, and he turned, just in time to see his daughter float up the stairs and into the room. Smiling, she drifted up beside him and landed silently on his right. Her flying ability had been the last power she'd come into, and the most difficult to train. Luckily, Storm and Rogue had been with them by then, and had taken to giving her flying lessons.

Shaking her shoulder length, chocolate-brown hair out of her eyes, Annora pressed another kiss to the top of her father's head; her short stature of five feet three inches made it easy for her to do so. Dark brown eyes sparkled in amusement as she watched the younger students on the basketball court, a few using their powers as they played. Cries of protest went up, declaring that powers were off limits.

Looking at his child, Charles couldn't help but wonder if he should have let her grow up with other children, something that hadn't been possible after the playground incident. He had wanted to enroll her in public school, but with her powers manifesting in unpredictable ways, Charles had decided it best to keep Annora with him in the mansion until she knew when _not_ to use her abilities. Sadly, this had never happened, and he had been forced to give her an education all on his own, away from those who might judge and harm her.

Not that she had been lonely, of course. Over time, their little family of two had expanded greatly, and included many other mutants who had become as close to Annora as any blood family could. Jean Grey, Ororo Munroe, and Scott Summers were among the first to join them, coming under Charles's wing as teenagers. They quickly became like siblings to Annora, and trained with her for many years, the four of them honing their powers and earning their codenames together. Later, Logan, also called Wolverine, and Remy LeBeau (Gambit) joined the group, as did Rogue and Dr. Hank McCoy (Beast).

With so many mutants offering her love, guidance, and advice, it was hard for Annora to be lonely. After all, she had Jean, Rogue and Storm for sisters, while the men had become foster uncles and older brothers.

'_But even with so many other mutants around_, _I never dreamed she would turn out to well-rounded_,' he thought, smiling slightly, just as he always did whenever he thought about his daughter.

Well, considering the training she had in teamwork and using her powers to help the X-Men, it was no wonder. Between Charles and Hank, Annora had received one of the best private educations a young person could get, one that was easily the equal of a collage graduate. At eighteen, she had been awarded a diploma from the local university, attended the graduation ceremony, and received all the honors that came with attending college.

After that, however, Charles though a change in scenery would do Annora some good. Right after her graduation, Charles had asked her to leave the mansion and experience the outside world for herself, a task she happily accepted. She had then proceeded to spend several years traveling the globe, forming friendships with both humans and mutants alike while seeing and experiencing a great deal more than she ever thought possible.

At twenty three years old, Annora had returned, bringing back all of her knowledge and experiences home with her. Now, at age twenty five, Annora was a part-time teacher at the school, where she taught dance. The students couldn't get enough of her courses, particularly her class on belly dancing and the Indian choreography course; both were always filled to capacity. Even the boys liked attending, though they'd never admit it.

"I am calling a meeting today," Xavier casually mentioned as they both watched the basketball game down below. "You really should attend this time."

Halo sighed and rolled her eyes. "Father, I really don't want to," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can't I just get a summary of it from Storm later?"

"You, my dear girl, are officially the first mutant I took in and trained," he said, turning to look at her. "As my legally adopted daughter, you have been here the longest, and unlike the others, a mutant practically from infancy. Therefore, you are, technically, above Scott and the other X-Men in rank, and have a right to be on the Council."

"But I don't want to _be_ on the Council," she huffed. "I like going out to bring runaway mutants here to the school, and I like teaching them to become as smart and well-trained as the X-Men. It's a lot more fun than talking about how we're going to combat Uncle and his followers."

Charles frowned. 'Uncle,' as she named him, was Magneto, and the two had been introduced a long time ago, when he and Charles had been on better terms. Now, though, Charles would very much like his daughter's association with him to end, lest Magnus try and sway his Halo towards a far more destructive cause.

However, both Annora and the metal-controlling mutant were fond of each other, and Magneto did his best to stay on her good side. Occasionally, a package would arrive with Magneto's signature in the corner to indicate who it was from. Inside was always a gift, and Annora always liked it because they were little shiny metallic figurines, clearly products of her doting "Uncle." Three whole shelves in her bedroom were decorated with them.

"Please don't argue with me on this," Xavier told her firmly. "I want you at that meeting tonight, no excuses."

Sighing, Annora rolled her eyes and, literally, flew out the door.

* * *

Sighing, Annora handed a plate to Kitty Pryde and smiled at her charge. Thanks to Kitty, Annora was able to get out of this evening's meeting of X-Men. The normally graceful young student had managed to twist an ankle while practicing a dance routine, and Annora had jumped at the opportunity to look after her. Her job was to make sure that Kitty stayed where she was and didn't phase through the wall just because she was bored with sitting in bed and resting.

"Besides, I'd rather have you hovering over me," Kitty had whispered into Annora's ear once they were alone. "You're more fun to gossip with, and I like hearing your stories about where you've traveled to."

And really, Annora was glad to stay with her. Since she was quite a few years younger than the other X-Men, Annora fell into an awkward age category between the teachers and the students: she was younger than thirty, but older than the teenage students who attended the school, so she didn't really fit into either group. Even Rogue was older than her, though not by much.

Still, because she was so close to them in age, Annora was popular with the students, and they often went to her because she seemed to be able to "make things better" when things went wrong during class or in life in general. It was rather touching, knowing how much the younger people liked her.

Not that the other X-Men weren't fond of her, too, even if they were all older than her. She, Jean, Storm and Rogue liked to sit up late sometimes, chatting and eating junk food until the early hours of morning. Scott and Gambit were her big brothers, the ones she turned to if she didn't want to trouble her father for advice with a problem. Logan was her protective uncle, and Beast was a second father to her. She loved them all and counted herself lucky to have them as her family.

But somehow, that wasn't enough. Despite this loving group that was almost family, part of her was missing –and she knew exactly what it would take to fill it up. She saw it every time Scott and Jean traded looks in the hallways or kisses in dark corners of the mansion.

'_Cheesy, but that's what I want_,' she thought while tucking Kitty into bed. '_I want someone to look at me the way Scott looks at Jean_.'

She envied Jean in that. After all, Scott loved her with all his heart, and would do anything for her just to see her happy. Logan had a thing for Jean, too, and though the red-head had _some_ feelings for him, Jean would never betray Scott in any way. It was clear to anyone that Scott and Jean were meant to be together, and Annora had the strongest feeling that Scott was about to pop the question soon –well, if he ever got the courage to do so.

Sighing, she headed to her room and shut the door. One day, she'd meet a man who would love her in spite of her mutant abilities, but right now, she wouldn't hold her breath about it.

* * *

AN: Well, there's chapter one. I hope it wasn't too dull, but I need to push all of the background info out there so that everyone knows what's up. Please let me know what you think by reviewing! Thanks!


	2. Mission Assignment

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Phantom of the Opera**_ or _**X-Men**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Sorry, but our dear Erik won't make an appearance until chapter three. I was going to put him in here, but it seemed a bit out of order, so all of chapter three will be devoted to Erik and his 'history.' I hope that everyone can wait, and that this chapter will hold you over until then. Thanks, and please review!

**Chapter 2: Mission Assignment:**

"I hate meetings," Annora muttered to herself as she floated down the hall to the Control Room.

Sadly, she hadn't been given a choice about this one; nothing could convince her father to let her off the hook today. Even now, he was waiting for her at the door to the Control Room, looking at her as she softly landed on her feet next to him. He nodded in approval as she took her normal spot just behind his right shoulder, where she always walked whenever they entered a room together.

As usual, everyone was already in the Control Room, waiting for their leader. Scott, Jean, Storm, Logan, Beast, Gambit and Rogue all turned their attention towards the Professor and nodded, though more than a few eyebrows rose at the sight of Annora's arrival. Without needing to use her telepathy, she knew they were wondering how Xavier had talked her into attending today's meeting.

'_Well, he __**is**__ my father_,' she thought as she slid into a seat.

Besides, she'd do anything for him, though attending X-Men meetings was pushing the limit. If she were the type, she'd rebel and skip the whole damned thing, not caring what he thought or how he might punish her. However, that went against her good nature, and besides, Annora loved her father and believed in what he was fighting for.

'_Though I have to admit, I hate it when the team goes after Uncle Magneto_.'

She loved her adoptive uncle, too, but like her father, Annora felt that peace between 'normal' humans and mutants could be achieved, and that it would be far more beneficial to the world than an all-out war. The ones sitting around the table felt the same way; otherwise they would not be here.

"Alright, then," her father declared from his place at the circular table. "Let's get started, shall we?"

Annora looked at Rogue, who was on her right, and almost laughed as the Southern Belle of the X-Men winked and rolled her eyes at her. Of all the female X-Men, Rogue was the one closest to Annora in humor, and the two often had fun together.

Xavier continued on. "I called tonight's meeting because I discovered something unusual in the mutant population. There seems to be a strange energy emanating from somewhere in France, but I can't get a lock on it, even using Cerebro."

That last part certainly got everyone's attention, even Annora's. It was difficult for a mutant to evade her father's incredible psychic abilities, as Charles Xavier was the most powerful telepath on the planet. For there to be a mutant out there who could slip past his mental sweeps was both interesting and worrisome.

Scott was the first to speak up. "What should we do? It's not like we can just search through all of France to try and find this person, Professor. That would take forever, and we don't have the resources."

"I'm not asking you to do any such thing, Scott," Xavier told him. "That would be a waste of valuable time, and I can't risk sending one of you out there for weeks, or perhaps months, just to find one mutant. We'll have to wait until I get more information, but I wanted to be sure that you all knew to be prepared in case I need to send one or more of you out."

He looked at each and every one of them. "If I don't get enough information about this situation, you will all have to be ready for anything."

As a group, the X-Men nodded their understanding. Annora could tell that Scott wanted to start raising ideas on how to plan for this, but until they knew more, all they could do was wait.

From there, the meeting steered towards what was happening in Washington DC. The government was still uneasy about the mutant population, but was split on how to handle it. Some proposed new laws and registration acts, while others wanted all mutants to be rounded up and placed in their own cities, away from 'normal' folks.

Even with her limited telepathy, Annora could sense the emotions of her fellow team members. They all just wanted to live in peace with humanity, and yet humanity wouldn't let them. But despite that, the X-Men would be there to protect regular humans from the harm that other, more violent mutants could cause. They had to defend those who could not defend themselves.

Surprisingly, the meeting was called to an end after that. The air had become full of tension and emotion, and Annora knew that things were going to turn ugly if they didn't get out and do something to blow off steam. Talk about government and mutant registration acts tended to get to everyone, but Wolverine and Rogue were the ones with the short tempers; it was better to cut the meeting short, before something –_interesting_- happened.

"Come on, sugar," Rogue said, placing a gentle hand on Annora's shoulder. "Storm and I are heading out to spend some of our cash at the mall. Want to come along?"

Annora smiled. There was little she could do against Rogue's smooth Southern accent. Plus, she loved to shop. "Sure, why not?"

The three women linked arms and headed for the elevator together, eager for the noises and fun of the shopping center.

* * *

Looking at the letter in his hands, Charles scowled before folding it up and returning it to its envelope. It was too much of a coincidence that this should arrive not two days after he'd brought the matter up before his X-Men. There was something very wrong with this picture, and he needed to get to the bottom of it.

Closing his eyes, Charles sent a telepathic call out to those he needed, emphasizing its importance. He could feel them all respond, and within half an hour, the Control Room table was surrounded by mutants, all of them focused on Xavier. Even Annora had come willingly, which was rare.

"I recently received a letter from a friend in France," he told them. "My contact is a mutant as well, with very minor psychic powers, so weak that they barely exist. I will not name him, since he does not want others to know about his abilities, but I will say that what he wrote concerns the mutant energy I sensed not two days ago."

He pressed a few buttons on the computer consol in front of him. A large hologram formed above the center of the table, creating an image of the Eiffel Tower.

"_Paris_?" Jean asked, incredulous.

"Apparently so," Xavier replied. "The Paris Opera House, to be exact. Apparently they've had a bit of a problem for nearly twenty years, and most of the people working there believe it to be the work of a ghost who calls himself The Opera Ghost, or The Phantom."

He held up a hand to stop any outspoken comments. "Despite what you might think, there _are_ such things as spirits, but in this case, I believe this to be the work of a mutant. With a more exact location, I used Cerebro to confirm this. There _is_ a mutant dwelling in the Paris Opera House, and we have to take care of this before someone gets hurt."

Scott tilted his head. "Professor, are you saying that no one has actually been harmed so far?"

Xavier shook his head. "No, no one has been hurt in any way. However, this mutant has been using his powers to extort money from the Opera House's owners and managers, which, as you know, is illegal. From what my source tells me, this mutant also uses his powers to make sure that certain performers are put in certain roles, and takes great care to frighten everyone to do his bidding. This, of course, is also illegal, or at least morally wrong."

The others nodded in agreement about this abuse of power. Now the question was what would they do about it?

"Well, considering we don't know a whole lot about this Phantom fellow, we should be prepared for anything, just as the Professor said," Scott told them. "He must have powerful psychic abilities to slip past both the Professor and Cerebro."

"So I guess that means a nice face-to-face confrontation is out of the question," Logan grumbled, flexing his hands to reveal his claws. "I was hoping to have some fun."

Charles smiled. "No, that won't do," he gently chided the hot-tempered mutant. "If we provoke this Ghost in any way, he – or she, for it could be a female – might just act out, and the last thing we need is to have some innocent bystander hurt." He focused on the holographic image of Paris. "We need to move slowly and carefully. Since this particular mutant is so powerful, I myself will go on this mission, along with one other."

Scott stood up in protest. "Professor, you can't-"

Xavier held up a hand to stop everyone from voicing their protests. "More than two cannot be spared from the school. We need teachers here to continue with the classes; the students must be looked after and taught. The same could be said in case an emergency should arise and several of you need to be called out."

They all knew he was right, but didn't want to admit it out loud. The others also didn't want to admit that each of them had been on similar missions before, where one or two X-Men were far more effective than the entire team.

Being psychic, Charles could easily hear their thoughts, particularly because they were all upset and thinking very 'loudly.' None of his little foster family wanted him to go, that was clear. They loved and respected him, but they all feared what would happen if he were to be caught alone and unprotected. If someone attacked while his accompanying X-Man were distracted, Charles would be able to defend himself telepathically, true enough, but if his attacker were able to protect their mind, then Charles would be helpless.

"Let Halo go," Storm suddenly suggested. "She's young, powerful, and can protect not only herself, but you as well. She's also seen quite a bit of the world, so she's got a bit of experience. She'll do fine."

Beast grinned. "Indeed. Halo's protective shields can prove most useful on this mission, and her telepathic link with you, Professor, would allow you both to remain in constant contact no matter the situation."

A vote was taken, and everyone was in favor of Annora going with him to France.

All, that is, except Annora.

* * *

It wasn't that she didn't want to go to Paris; it's just that she's already seen it, and really, she preferred to stay at the mansion, teaching the students to become well-rounded and well-educated. The one thing Annora wanted most was to give other young mutants what Charles Xavier had given her for her entire life.

'_I also want to do it peacefully, like Father does_.'

Of course, that wasn't possible. As long as humans feared mutants and their abilities, it was necessary for her students to learn how to defend themselves, and preserve innocent lives.

In order to do that, however, they had to have confidence, something that was in short supply when it came to runaways and deserted mutant children.

That was where Annora's classes came in. She knew that knowing how to dance was very much a confidence builder. Girls benefited from her belly dancing class by learning how to become graceful and seductive, and to have fun while doing it. When they were able to memorize a dance down to the last step and twitch of the hips, it gave them a sense of empowerment that they'd never felt before. When they performed their dances for the school at a recital, they left feeling better about themselves.

And since she was a young person herself, Annora had become the unofficial confidant of the school. She was closer in age to the students than Storm and Jean, and didn't have the fiery temper of Rogue, so she was dubbed the best person to go to about 'personal issues.' Girls poured their sob-stories out to her, boys asked for help in getting a girl to notice them, and both sexes came to her with their pleas for homework aid.

'_It's so nice to be needed_,' she thought, amused. Building up a person's confidence was something her father had done for her, and Annora wanted to carry that on to other who needed it. It was what she wanted to do with her life.

But as an X-Man, Annora was required to go out and sometimes fight, which was the last thing she wanted to do. She had seen Europe, traveled through India, China, Japan, and even Singapore, but her mind was always drifting back towards the Mansion and the family she had left behind. It was home, and when she'd come back from her very long travels, she'd had every intention of remaining here at the mansion.

'_And now, just as I'm getting comfortable with being a teacher and a friend to the students, it's off to a mission_.'

True, she'd been on missions before then, but they'd been 'retrieval missions,' where she had to pick up a mutant that had run away or been thrown out of their home. And even though she didn't like violence, Annora had to keep her powers in control; after all, she never knew when an attack might happen on these missions, and she had to be ready, just in case. In a tough spot, she could be a very formidable person indeed.

Still, she would much rather stay at the mansion and teach rather than be out there.

Something whispered in the back of Annora's mind, pulling her attention away from her thoughts.

_::Yes, Father?::_

She could feel him smiling. ::_Annora, don't worry about packing much. We can just buy you clothing when we get there_::

When she tried to protest, her father gently brushed her mind. ::_I don't get to spoil you as much as I used to, and I want to be sure that both you and I fit in when we arrive. Now, don't argue with me, just pack a few extra sets of clothes to get you through a day or three_.::

Reluctantly giving in, Annora shook her head and went to her closet. There was a lot to do, and not enough time to do it.

* * *

AN: I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. Erik will appear in the next chapter, and a lot more after that, so please be patient. More fun coming up soon, I promise! Thanks for reading, and please review. Thanks!


	3. Beneath the Opera House

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Here's Erik! I think I should mention that I've never been inside the Paris Opera House, so I have no idea what it looks like or what it contains, so please don't be angry if I'm totally off about the description. Remember, this is fiction, so it's all coming out of my imagination. Enjoy and please review! Thanks!

**Chapter 3: Beneath the Opera House****:**

Shivering, Antoinette Giry headed down the subtly marked pathways that led towards her destination. It wasn't fear that sent her into quivers; it was the fact that it was cursed cold down there, no matter what season it was!

"I don't know why he doesn't put pipes into the walkways," she muttered, daintily stepping over a loose stone.

Of course, Erik already had that elaborate set of heating pipes set up in his home. Those insulated pipes stole excess heat from the Opera House's heaters and pumped them down into the elaborate house by the lake, warming all of the rooms except for the kitchen's storage pantry. It was quite brilliant, actually, but then, Erik _was_ a genius. And since he didn't really leave his underground caverns, there was no need to install the heating pipes in the passageways.

Finally, Antoinette reached the hidden doorway that led into his house and pressed the wall firmly, swinging the door open and allowing a puff of lukewarm air out to greet her.

"Erik, I'm here!" she called, silently praying that she wasn't interrupting something.

Honestly, the man could get lost in his projects and forget to eat if she didn't remind him. A pity she had little time to help her friend, but her duty to her little ballerinas came first; her livelihood depended on their progressive training.

"Erik?" Antoinette called again, and received no answer.

The stone hallway was dark, but she could see a light coming from beneath one of the closed wooden doors, so she knew he was working. He probably hadn't heard her call, and even if he did, would completely ignore it if his creativity was working. Ah, well.

Hauling the basket into the kitchen, she put it on the marble counter (which had been stolen from the confines of the Opera House) with a relieved sigh. Today's delivery was unusually heavy, since Erik had demanded wine with this week's groceries. He had a weakness for wine, and wanted the best.

"It helps my creativity flow," he'd told her.

She often thought that perhaps he wanted the best of everything simply because he'd been deprived of so much for most of his childhood. And really, she couldn't blame him, considering…

"Really, Antoinette, must you shout the moment you come into my home?"

Giving a squeak of surprise, she turned to see her part-time employer standing in the doorway. He was angry, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared down at her. Standing over six-feet-tall, Erik Garnier could be very intimidating when he chose to be. The dark hair, blazing green eyes and white mask only completed his menacing look, especially when paired with his dark clothing.

But when he wasn't angry or trying to appear dangerous to everyone, Erik was a very handsome man. Those green eyes were set in a finely chiseled face that was softened by the dimple in his chin. Black hair, thick and wavy, begged for a female to run her fingers through it. If Antoinette wasn't already happily married and with a daughter-

'_Well, a mother and wife I am, and though it would be nice to play matchmaker to Erik and Meg, it will never happen_,' she thought, rolling her eyes and ignoring him in order to see to the groceries. She heard him leave, muttering under his breath.

A man hardened by the world, Erik had forsaken the outside world and secluded himself here in the caves underneath the Opera Populaire, also called the Paris Opera House. For more than two decades he had lived here, content and alone, with only Antoinette as his weekly visitor and friend.

'_I should have tried harder to bring him out to the world. I should have taken him to the nearest orphanage or police station to get him adopted into a new, more loving family. __**Why**__ did I think that bringing him down here would be the solution to his problems_?'

But then, they had both been young, not even in their teens, and both had been fearful of Erik's safety. After all, his own parents had abandoned him on the streets of Paris when he was barely ten-years-old; how would complete strangers treat him?

Antoinette had been only twelve when she'd found him wandering the back alley behind the Populaire. Cold, tired, scared and hungry, he'd seen the box of stuffed pastries she was carrying and begged for a small bite to eat to fill his empty stomach. Concerned for the boy's health, she'd given him a bun filled with chicken and spinach, and asked him how he'd come to be there.

They'd left him, he'd said around a mouthful of chicken, dough and vegetables. His parents, fed up with their son's unusual abilities and hideous face, had drugged him and left him unconscious on the streets of Paris with nothing but the clothes on his back.

'_Fools_,' Antoinette angrily thought to herself. '_The man's a genius with intellectual and artistic gifts most people would kill for._'

His face wasn't even that bad, and took up only a small part of his person. Stretching from just above his lip up to his hairline, and from the right half of his nose to his right ear, his deformity was superficial. The skin was red, slightly lumpy in places, and a tad yellow along the edges, but it wasn't that terrible to look at.

'_Too bad that bitch of a mother and ass of a father made him feel as though it were the most disgusting thing in the world_.'

That was why Erik never went out, not since she'd brought him here. He had insisted on living in a place that kept him hidden away from the world, and had been thrilled when Antoinette had mentioned the caves. She had found them while exploring the Opera House one day, and was likely the only one who knew of their existence.

After exploring the caves with him, Antoinette had also showed him the hidden passageways that ran through the walls, ceiling and floorboards of the building. These, too, she'd found, and since both the caves and the passages were full of cobwebs and dust, it was safe to say that no one else knew of their existence.

It was perfect, he'd said. And almost at once, he began to plan a house by the lake he'd discovered. The two of them carried down old furniture that no one wanted, all of it still perfectly functional and elegant. The old cushions and rugs they found were quickly made new again by ransacking the old storage rooms where bolts of cloth had been tossed and forgotten about. Most of that old furniture was still here, actually, though much repaired.

Like the furniture, food and clothing were easy to get, considering the hidden passages led to every single room in the Populaire. Antoinette taught Erik how to sew and cook for himself, and eventually, Erik began to start paying attention to the broken bits and pieces dumped into those forgotten storage rooms. Something clicked inside of him, and his sense of curiosity and genius began to grow. A creative mind laying dormant for who-knows-how-long came to the surface, and suddenly, Erik had a thirst for creating art, music, mechanical toys and dozens of other things that were wondrous in Antoinette's eyes. He stole tools no one used anymore to fix old props to decorate his home, and had lugged down an old organ that had been in a trash heap, carrying it piece by piece into the underground caves.

Surrounded with different objects to tinker with and blessed with food and shelter, Erik should have been content with his situation in life.

However, that was not the case. Soon, Erik desired _new_ tools to work with, instead of the broken leavings of other craftsmen. He also wanted to create entire things with his own hands, not repairing and improving something that had been tossed out. But all of that cost money, which was _not_ lying around the back rooms of the Opera House.

So, at age thirteen, Erik's grand scheme had come into play: he would use his brilliance to extort money from the managers of the Populaire. Not a lot, but enough for him to live on comfortably.

However, he had nothing to threaten them with, and it was doubtful that they would listen to the threats a mere teenage boy.

But by then, strange things had started to happen to her dear friend. Erik had began developing strange abilities that no human should have. The very shadows that danced on his walls started to move, coming to his beckoning hands when he commanded them to. He also caused them to change shape, enlarging them or shrinking them to the size of a pinhead. It was chilling to watch shadows detach themselves from the objects casting them and fly around the room like ghosts.

Of course, that was how he got the owners and managers of the Opera House to pay him a monthly salary.

Using his gifts, Erik had manipulated every shadow in the auditorium during a rehearsal, causing a panic amongst cast, crew and orchestra alike. He then called out them, saying that he was the Opera Ghost, and that if they wanted no accidents to occur during the upcoming performance, they would pay a handsome amount of money to appease him.

That was how the monthly salaries started. Cash was left in an envelope in Box 5 every week, which Erik retrieved by using the secret passage in the walls. Using this money, Erik paid Antoinette to do his shopping, and to bring him gossip of the outside world.

For several years, this was how life was. Despite her moves up in the ballet ranks, Antoinette would find time to visit Erik once a week and bring him whatever it was that he wanted, but could not obtain inside the Opera House. If he was busy on a new painting, or creating a new music box or sculpture, she would cook for him and leave the hot meal on the stove before leaving him alone. Mostly, though, she was there for company and to bring him the latest news and gossip from the Opera, which he found amusing. It was almost routine, really, and Antoinette found that she rather liked the arrangement.

But the happy routine that she and Erik had settled into did not last for very long. One day, at the age of sixteen, Erik discovered that he had a new, more horrifying ability, one that he was determined _not_ to use unless he felt it necessary.

He could force himself into peoples' minds and wrap them in darkness or in their deepest fears, terrifying them until he chose to release them.

As his one friend and visitor, Antoinette had been on the receiving end of these powers of his, though it had always been when he'd been angry and he'd acted out by accident. Once he'd managed to gain a grip on his emotions and tame his power, Erik always apologized and pleaded forgiveness. Since his abilities had frightened him as much as they had Antoinette, she always forgave him.

And why should she not forgive her friend and benefactor? He didn't even know why he had these powers, or the twisted face that he did, but in spite all of this, Erik had a good enough heart to know that he had to hide himself away so that he did not harm anyone with his abilities. It was a curse, he often told her, and he wanted to keep people safe from whatever it was he'd been cursed with.

It wasn't until recently that Antoinette discovered what her friend truly was. Erik was a mutant.

She'd read about it in the papers, of different people discovering they had incredible powers. Apparently mutants had been around for many years, but no one wanted to broach the subject until many more of them began to appear. Some mutants were probably older and more powerful than Erik, which he found a sort of comfort in, after she'd told him about it.

"But I still cannot go out," he'd declared. "Even if the world accepted either my twisted face or my powers, I doubt they would accept both. Humanity is not ready for me and my sort yet."

'_I always felt it a pity that so many people judge others based on their looks_,' Antoinette thought as she began preparing Erik's supper. '_He has always been good to me and my family, though they don't know who we owe our excess income to_.' Even now, her family thought the weekly deposits into her bank account was from an inheritance from a dead relative.

She had good reason to lie to them. After she had met and married Anton Giry, then bore her daughter, Meg, her job as dancer, and later dance mistress, in the Opera was not enough to cover all their expenses. It was Erik's weekly salary that gave both her and her husband the finances they needed to bring up their child in comfort, and to pay for Meg's dance education in America.

Sighing, Antoinette returned to making dinner. It was too bad no one knew how kind Erik could be.

* * *

She was thinking about him again, of that he was certain. With his strange powers over people's minds, Erik had developed the ability to sense what people were thinking, and if he chose, to manipulate their thoughts against them.

But he'd never use them against his oldest and only friend, nor against anyone else, unless needed. Antoinette had stayed with him throughout his entire ordeal, from the time they'd first met right through the discovery of his unearthly abilities, and he could never repay all of the kindness she had shown him. The most he could do was pay her a generous weekly salary, knowing she would never have accepted the money if it weren't for her daughter, who was attending an exceptional dance school in America. As it was, helping young Meg Giry was a way of helping Antoinette, so the arrangement was a good one.

Looking at the music box before him, Erik suddenly felt a surge of guilt. Antoinette knew all about his powers and what he was able to do with them. She also thought him a secluded hermit who hid away from the outside world.

What she _didn't_ know was that, lately, he had been going out into the world, if only to see what was happening and what it was like. His ability to control shadows had gotten stronger over time, and within the last few weeks, Erik had found that he could, literally, become one with the darkness of shadow. He could follow pathways only he, as a shadow, could see, and he used these paths to travel wherever he wanted to. As long as there was a patch of shadow or darkness nearby, Erik could go there and observe things without being seen. He'd slipped into many public places that way.

It was during one of these outings that he discovered the hardships that his fellow mutants faced on a daily basis. He'd seen mobs of 'normal' humans attacking someone simply because they had pointed ears, fur, or blue skin. Some mutants fought back to defend themselves, though, and most managed to escape without too much damage to themselves; that gave him _some_ hope of surviving outside his hidden sanctuary.

Erik, however, knew he would never be able to control himself in that sort of situation. There was a great deal of anger inside of him, both at the world and at his parents, and he feared what would happen if he were cornered and forced to lash out in defense.

But as angry as he was at the world, he _did_ know the difference between right and wrong, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt innocent bystanders. Antoinette had helped instill morals into him from the beginning, though he was still tempted to wreak a bit of havoc when it came to those in the Opera House. It was so amusing to watch people flinch at shadows and look over their shoulders in fear!

"But don't hurt anyone, Erik," Antoinette constantly told him. "If you do, I will never visit you again, and you will truly be alone."

That was no idle threat, and he took it very seriously. He wouldn't actually hurt anyone, but tormenting them a little was something he could not resist doing.

Sighing, he looked at the unfinished music box before him. It was to be a gift for Antoinette, for her birthday. He made her one every year, and one for her daughter, as well. Since little Meg was fond of ballet, Erik always crafted a ballerina music box, each one with the dancer in a different ballet dance position. Antoinette, meanwhile, received fine wooden or porcelain pieces with flowers, birds, or lakes and trees, which she loved. Every time she received a music box, either for her or for Meg, Antoinette thanked him profusely and gave him several hugs.

But the thanks of one person was not enough. Erik longed for contact with people, hungered for it, in fact, but knew it was impossible. The world and its human population would never accept a mutant, and even if he were 'normal,' there was also the deformity of his face to consider. He might have it fixed, he supposed, but he was afraid of what might happen if things went wrong.

'_What if I turn out worse than I already am_?' The thought was horrifying.

And so he consoled himself by creating great works of beauty. Paintings, sculptures, music, music boxes, and even jeweled boxes all decorated his home, filling the dark caves with light and splendor everywhere he turned. It gave him immense satisfaction to know that he had created them with his own hands and imagination.

But that did not dull the ache he had, the need for human companionship. Antoinette could not spend all her time here with him; she was dance instructor to the ballerinas up in the Populaire, and could not be spared more than once or twice a week. Besides, she had her sickly husband to care for as well, and Anton was half of her heart; Erik wouldn't dream of taking her time away from him.

Besides, a friend wasn't all he wanted. He wanted someone who would do more than just spend time with him, a person who could care for him as more than just a friend.

'_That is all a dream_,' he thought, biting his lip.

But, oh, what a wonderful dream that was…his most precious and cherished dream. Perhaps one day, it would come to pass…

* * *

AN: There's chapter three! I hope it was okay. Please let me know by leaving a review. Thanks!


	4. Being Watched

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Finally, Erik and Annora in the same chapter! They don't really meet, exactly, but at least they kind of get a 'feel' for one another. You'll see what that means later on. Hope you have fun reading and will review! Thanks!

**Chapter 4: Being Watched:**

Looking at the dress lying on her bed, Annora sighed. Tonight, her mission would begin, but she wasn't worried about that; it was prepping for this evening that had her grumpy.

The flight overseas was uneventful. Her father had booked them both in first class on a very large aircraft, so they had been assigned bed-like chairs instead of the tiny cramped spaces of coach. Descent meals had been served, and like any young person of drinking age, Annora had taken advantage of the free champagne they'd served during the flight. The alcohol, plus the soothing music of her MP3 player and the books she'd brought, had made the flight feel relatively short.

"Our cover is that we are merely rich tourists, a father and his daughter, taking in the sights of Paris," her father had told her before they'd left. "I purchased a box for us at the Opera House, so that we have an excuse to get close to this mutant without drawing suspicion."

Sadly, a night at the opera required her to dress up, and if there was one thing Annora hated, it was dressing up.

'_The things I'll go through for a mission_,' she sighed, rolling her eyes.

::_I heard that_:: her father whispered into her head. ::_Now get going. There isn't much time before our car gets here to take us to the opera_.::

Well, here goes nothing.

* * *

Two hours later, Charles felt a fatherly swell of pride as they rode to the Opera House

Beside him, Annora was the picture of sophistication, dressed in a sleek and elegant off-the-shoulder, floor-length black velvet gown. Her normally straight brown hair had been carefully done into soft waves, and the gold chain and diamond pendant around her neck spoke of simplicity, as well as taste. With her head held high, she was the picture of class.

'_If they only knew how much she preferred jeans and a cotton shirt_,' Charles thought, hiding his amusement.

The ride to the Opera House was uneventful, and they arrived with plenty of time to spare before they needed to be seated. Charles watched Annora slide out of the car first, taking a place to stand beside the door while he was assisted out of the vehicle and into his waiting wheelchair.

Once Charles was securely in his chair, Annora laid a gentle, but firm, hand on his shoulder and let him escort her towards the open doors.

* * *

Annora was quick to notice that, upon seeing her father's situation, many of the opera patrons kindly moved out of the way, allowing them to make their way through. She nodded her thanks and kept a firm grip on her father's shoulder, knowing how easy it would be to loose him in a crowd this size, even if he was in a wheelchair.

Slowly heading up the handicap slope, she took note of those attending the evening's performance. Gowns, jewels, perfume, cologne, talk and laughter swirled all around the streets, and Annora couldn't wait until they were safely in their box for the evening.

'_At least then we'll have some privacy_.'

Though she'd traveled the world and been with mobs of people heading for the same destinations as she, Annora was not comfortable with crowds. If they ever found out she was a mutant, friendly gatherings like this could become mobs, and then she would be in serious trouble. It had happened several times before, and she'd been forced to run for her life, leaving behind new friends in the effort to save her skin.

::_Now, now, none of that_:: her father gently chided her telepathically. ::_Try and enjoy tonight, sweet girl, even if we __**are**__ working_::

Smiling, she squeezed his shoulder, letting him know he was right. His own hand reached up and patted her arm as they headed for the doorways of the Opera House, closely following a small group of fellow patrons.

The moment they crossed the threshold of the Opera House, a wave of power hit Annora like a brick wall. She saw her father start in his chair, but he was surprisingly quick in composing himself. In fact, he was so fast in masking his discomfort that no one noticed something was wrong.

Annora, meanwhile, was trying to steady herself and follow her father's calm lead, the two of them heading for the elevators that would take them up to the more expensive seats. They reached the sliding doors quickly, and were allowed inside the beautifully decorated elevator after showing their tickets to the usher.

Safe in the confines of the elevator, Annora was at last able to regain her bearings.

::_I'm sorry, child_:: he telepathically apologized. ::_I did not know that one of this mutant's skills would be telepathic, nor did I think he would be powerful enough to encompass the entire building with his aura. If I had, I would have built up the shielding in your mind_. _Forgive me_.::

Annora had to smile. Of course she forgave him! It wasn't his fault; she just wasn't used to such obvious shows of telepathic power, that's all. And since her own telepathic abilities were extremely small, it would have taken a powerful mutant indeed to affect her in such a way. Thankfully, her father had put some solid protections in her mind to protect her from serious mental 'tampering.'

'_Thank goodness for that. If that bubble of power we ran into was any indication, we're up against a __**very**__ powerful mutant indeed_.'

Oh, well. That was half the fun. Besides, as an X-Man, she was used to danger by now.

The elevator reached the floor that housed the expensive viewing boxes, and Annora followed her father out onto the red carpets, all of her senses alert. From the way the hair on the back of her neck prickled, she knew they were being watched. She _hated_ being watched.

::_Annora, I've managed to hide my telepathic skills from our watcher_:: her father told her as they headed down a dim hallway. ::_This way, he doesn't know that I can sense his presence_.::

Well, that was good, but what about _her_ powers?

::_I don't think he can sense your abilities, since your telepathic gifts are so minor,:: _he continued_. : I doubt that you have anything to worry about_.::

Somehow, she doubted that. However, she kept quiet on the matter and instead tried to keep from being creeped out by the shivers running up and down her spine.

"Which box is ours, Father?" she asked out loud.

"Box number 5," he replied.

* * *

There was definitely something wrong with the Opera House this evening. He could sense it even down in the cellars, and knew that it required his attention.

Dressed in a black outfit made of silk, Erik wrapped a black cloak around his shoulders for warmth against the cold of the passageways. On his way out, he reached for a black velvet mask to wear over the top half of his face. When he was dressed like this, he could become a shadow the old-fashioned way by camouflage, without resorting to the use of his powers. These days, he didn't like using them unless it was an emergency.

'_Besides, it's more fun this way. I always feel as though I'm cheating by literally moving through the shadows. Disappearing before a crowd by using the passages takes skill and creativity_.'

Erik liked being creative. It helped make things interesting.

Up he went, following a strange sense that he needed to find something in particular, though he did not know what it was. Something was calling to him, pulling at him like a fisherman pulls in his catch. Erik was the fish, and the person at the other end of this 'line' was what he needed to find.

Curiously enough, the 'line' pulled him towards the main auditorium of the Populaire. Erik quickly slipped out of the passageway and into a particularly good (and hidden) observation spot, green eyes scanning the crowd for anything unusual. It was there that he saw her.

A young woman, clad in black velvet, attended an older man in a wheelchair, her hand resting affectionately on his shoulder. It was clear that the two were close.

That however, was not what attracted his eyes to her. The thing that pulled his attention towards this woman was the fact that she was _glowing_. Literally. A warm, steady golden aura surrounded her, like the stuff out of a holy painting.

But why did no one else notice this? '_Could I be the only one to see this_?'

It was an interesting thought, but why? Could it be that his mutant powers gave him the ability to see this odd, golden light surrounding this girl? If so, what did it mean?

Erik ground his teeth in anger. Normally, he loved puzzles; they kept him occupied, and he did so enjoy a challenge when presented with one. It gave him something to think about, and forced his mind to work in many different ways.

This puzzle, though, would probably drive him insane before the night was out. The glow this girl had was not overly bright, but was quite noticeable in the slightly dimmed lights of the Opera's entryway. He had to know who she was and what she was doing in his Opera House.

Closing his eyes, he silently bent his mind on the brilliant figure he was following. The aura she emanated was easy enough to track, and using the shadows that were his friends, Erik was able to sense where she and her escort were heading to. From the refined way they were dressed, as well as the old man's unfortunate situation, they would likely be in one of the expensive boxes for the performance.

As it turned out, they were heading towards, of all places, Box 5. _His_ box.

Torn between anger, curiosity, and annoyance, Erik slowly gave in to curiosity and _focused_ on the shadows around him. Within seconds, he was in the large, hallowed out pillar that stood in the corner of Box 5. Using his powers over darkness and shadows, Erik was able to look and see into the vacant Box itself, eyes focusing intensely on those who were just now entering the small opulent viewing area.

His view was clear, even in the slightly dimmed overhead lights. The old man in the wheelchair arrived first, his balding head shining in the dim lighting. Though worn with age, he had a kind, sharply intelligent face that seemed to see everything around him. Presently, he was smiling as he wheeled in, whispering something to the young woman as she trailed in behind him. She gave a soft laugh and shook her head before closing the door behind her.

Presented with a far more appealing attraction, Erik turned his gaze to the woman. She was younger than he thought, possibly in her mid-twenties. Her shoulder-length brown hair had been elegantly done in waves, much like the Flapper look of the 1920's, and was a good look for her. Chocolate-brown eyes were elegantly done with dark eyeshadow and her lips were tinted a luscious red. Her gown brushed softly against the red velvet of the carpet and upholstery of the Box, creating a soft shushing sound as she moved.

But the soft, classy look she gave off was only a façade. Erik could clearly sense the power that she possessed, and see it as well, but why did no one else notice?

'_This is going to drive me insane_,' he thought as the lights began to dim, signaling the start of the performance.

Sadly, he could do nothing except watch and wait. Patience would likely pay off far better than action, and so, making himself comfortable, he relaxed and tried to watch both the opera and the woman at the same time.

* * *

Throughout the entire performance, she knew that their watcher was still with them. He was close, too, though she did not know exactly where he was hiding. It was very frustrating.

Her father tried to telepathically reassure her that they were quite safe, just being observed, but Annora couldn't help but feel anxious. In the past, whenever people had watched her, things always got…complicated.

However, she trusted her father's judgment, and tried to enjoy the opera performance.

Time passed, the intermission came and went, and still she felt as though a pair of eyes were focused on the back of her neck. Before the intermission, Annora thought that their watcher's gaze was threatening, but after they had returned to their seats, she suspected otherwise.

'_It's as though he were studying us, like a person studies an animal or insect they're fascinated with_.'

And their watcher was most certainly a male. She didn't know how, but Annora could sense a masculinity behind the 'eyes' she felt on her. In other circumstances, she would have been worried, but now that she knew their observer only wanted to look and not attack, Annora gradually felt herself relax enough to enjoy the end of the opera.

By the end of the evening, however, Annora was exhausted and ready to fall into bed for a well-deserved rest. She could see that her father was tired as well, and immediately asked for their car to be brought around while they waited in the lobby.

Much to her frustration, the entryway was packed with people waiting for their cars, so she gently ushered her father into an out-of-the-way place not far from the grand staircase. Since the other patrons were grouped on the other side of the large space, found a place behind a marble pillar, where they had some peace and quiet while they waited.

"What did you think of the performance?" Father asked her, "though I doubt that you saw much of it, since you seemed a bit distracted."

He was teasing her. Annora sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, I wonder why that would be?" she sarcastically asked. "Well, besides the long flight we just had and the fact that I'm starving?"

Her father chuckled and reached out to pat her arm. "Don't worry, there's going to be a nice dinner waiting for us in our rooms at the hotel," he told her. "And if you'll forgive my saying so, there will also be a lovely tray of pastries to sweeten your sour mood."

Blushing furiously, she bent to press an affectionate kiss on the top of his head. "I'm sorry to be so snippy. It's just been a long day."

He reached out and took her hand in his. "You've nothing to feel sorry about. We haven't even been in Paris for half a day, and already I've pushed you too hard. Tonight you'll get a good rest and tomorrow you'll feel better."

Annora smiled. How like her father to be so optimistic. "Yes, Father."

One of the valets came rushing over to announce that their car had arrived. Within minutes, Annora was able to relax into her leather seat, the sense of being watched quickly fading behind her.

::_It seems that our mutant's territory is limited to the Opera House itself_.:: her father whispered in her mind. ::_Considering I was worried that he or she might have a wider influence, that comes as a relief_.::

::_The mutant is male_,:: she informed him. ::_I don't know how I know, but I could sense it as he watched us_.::

Her father nodded. ::_You have good instincts, Annora. If you say the mutant is male, I believe you_.::

It wasn't often that someone said that to her. The other X-Men always thought her too young to know what she was saying when she told them something, so it felt good hearing that from her father.

Smiling, Annora leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek just as they pulled up to the hotel.

* * *

That night, comfortable in pajamas and full of a good meal, Annora lay in bed, her mind spinning a million miles an hour. Now that she'd had time to clear her thoughts, Annora now had a very bad feeling about this mission, especially when it came to dealing with this strange and powerful mutant.

'_We have no idea what we're going up against_,' she worried to herself.

That in itself was unnerving. Her father was usually very good when it came to detecting mutants and their abilities; since he had no information about this particular one, Annora couldn't help but think the worst.

'_Maybe we should have brought backup with us_.'

Taking a deep breath, Annora closed her eyes. If she kept fretting, she'd never get to sleep, and a good night's rest was exactly what she needed.

It was at that moment that the day's events caught up with her, and before she knew it, Annora Xavier was sound asleep. She didn't even notice the odd shadow gliding along the wall just above her bed, hovering over her for just a moment before slipping out the window.

* * *

AN: More fun to be had next chapter! A little spoiler: Erik and Annora meet! Stay tuned for next time, and please don't forget to review! Thanks!


	5. An Unexpected Prisoner

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Phantom of the Opera**_ or _**X-Men**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Okay, let me explain about the mental 'selves' that are in this chapter. In the cartoon, when Xavier goes into someone's mind to 'talk' with them, it's like the two people are standing on a plain or plateau of sorts, talking to one another, face-to-face inside someone's head. It's been done in a few of the original animated _**X-Men**_ episodes, so if you've seen the cartoon, you know what I'm talking about. Here, it's basically like Erik and Annora's physical selves talking to one another, but in her mind. Sorry if I confused anyone, but that's as good as I can explain it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and will review. Thanks!

**Chapter 5: An Unexpected Prisoner:**

She was here. She did not know where she was, or how she'd been taken, but she was here, lying on the bed before him.

Sighing, Erik rubbed his eyes. He hadn't _meant_ to kidnap the poor girl; he'd merely wanted to force a few answers out of her by using his powers. As soon as he got them, Erik had been perfectly willing to let her go, just leaving her unconscious in her room while he went home to think things over.

Sadly, that was not what had happened.

Oh, the first part of the plan had gone well enough. It had taken many long hours of watching, studying, listening, and waiting, but it had been worth it. He had learned her habits, and found out when she was the most vulnerable. Then, Erik had acted.

She'd been getting ready for bed when he materialized in her room, just before he overwhelmed her with his mental powers, wrapping her mind entirely in darkness and leaving her defenseless. In seconds, she was unconscious, and Erik there to catch her, wrapping his arms gently around her small, fragile figure. She looked so peaceful and helpless, lying there in his arms…

But that moment of triumph was shattered by her father wheeling in, calling for his daughter. His back towards the door, Erik only had time to look out of the corner of his eye and see the alarm on the old man's wizened face.

In response to his panic at being caught, every shadow in the room had come rushing towards Erik, acting as though to a silent call or command. In that fight-or-flight moment, Erik elected to take his captive and run, teleporting himself and his captive to his underground home with a mere thought.

* * *

'_How did it come to this_?' he wondered.

The whole thing had started innocently enough. At first, he'd kept close to her merely out of curiosity. After all, it was the first time he'd seen a person who _glowed_!

That first evening, Erik had used his abilities to trail the car to their hotel, hitching a "ride" on the girl's shadow and slipping into her closet when she wasn't looking. Using that space as a hideout to spy on her, he'd had the decency looked away while she changed and readied herself for bed. When the lights had been turned off, Erik had emerged from his hiding place and looked her over.

She was young, but no child. The woman had to be at least in her mid-twenties, but her face possessed an open, childlike friendliness that he rather liked. He also noted that the glow she emanated had dimmed to a dull haze as she slept. It was fascinating.

A few minutes later, he'd left quietly, with no intention of seeing her again for a few days. He'd been set on that.

But as it turned out, Erik had been so fascinated by this girl that he wanted to spy on her again, arriving at her hotel room just in time to catch the beginning of a phone conversation. He was quite fortunate that her cell phone had a speaker option, so he heard every word exchanged.

"Really, Annora, you need to do _some_ shoppin' while you're out there," an accented voice said. It was female, older, and full of affection. If Erik wasn't mistaken, she was from the south-eastern part of America.

Annora, as he now knew her to be called, replied that she would try, and that she would buy presents for everyone before she left for home.

From the way that she spoke, Erik knew her to be well-educated. Her slightly cultured tone of voice spoke of a very good, and probably expensive, education, and as she continued to talk on the phone, he could tell that she was American as well.

Intrigued, Erik decided to continue watching this Annora and see what sort of person she was.

And in his efforts, he discovered quite a bit about her father as well.

Through the phone lines, it was quickly found out that the father was a very rich American called Charles Xavier. Surprisingly, instead of wallowing in his fortune and spending it madly, Monsieur Xavier had long ago converted his vast estate into a school for gifted youngsters. Most of his money went towards feeding, clothing, and housing these children, seeing to their comforts rather than his own.

If he weren't hearing it for himself, Erik would not have believed it. But as it so happened, he was spying on Mademoiselle Annora Xavier when her father came into her room to ask if the school had called. She replied that, yes, she'd had word from home, and that the students were all doing fine.

"Well, except for Kitty," she said. "She's still worried that she won't be able to dance in the recital at the end of the term, but I think that she'll do fine. A few more days of physical therapy, some extra dance practice sessions, and she'll be ready."

Her father reached out and patted her on the arm, his face full of kindness and affection. "Wonderful. Your classes are one of the few that the students hate missing out on. I'd hate to see any of them miss the recital they work so hard for."

Erik watched as Annora smiled in return and pressed a kiss to the top of her father's bald head. The older man smiled and squeezed her arm before leaving her alone to her thoughts.

It was soon obvious that, with such a good role model, young Mademoiselle Xavier had turned out the same sort of person as her father. Within the first few days of spying on her, Erik could see that she was a kind and decent person who refused to spend her father's money frivolously, like most women would.

And Erik would know of her spending almost first-hand. After all, he'd followed Annora on many of her solo outings into the streets of Paris.

Whenever her father was unable to go out with her, most of Annora's excursions included a great deal of shopping, sometimes at expensive boutiques and sometimes at beat-up stalls on side streets. However, a very small portion of her purchases were hers. Most of what Annora bought appeared to be for teenage boys or girls, or for people much older than her –possibly family members or close friends.

Furthering his amazement of her, Erik saw that whatever Annora bought for herself was small and not overly expensive. In all the time he watched her, a small bottle of French perfume had been her greatest 'splurge' on herself.

'_What sort of woman travels all the way to Paris and buys an absurdly small bottle of French perfume, but nothing else for herself_?' he often wondered at night, as he sat alone in his rooms. Erik would have found it maddening, if it hadn't been for the fact that he found her so interesting.

But it was just her spending habits he was interested in. Annora's tastes in music, food, drink, and books soon found their way into Erik's memory, and he rather liked what he found out.

* * *

Reaching out, he brushed a lock of hair from her head. Thus far, he knew that Annora spoke a sprinkling of French; just enough to get by without too much help. And since she ate not only at French restaurants, but at a variety of ethnic eateries, she appeared to be well-traveled, because she ordered food like someone who had visited those other countries and understood the cuisine and customs.

'_She is my exact opposite in every way: well-traveled, beloved by her father, and with many friends. So why am I so fascinated with her when I should have tired of this game by now_?'

Perhaps it was because he _knew_ she was a mutant –the glowing aura that she had wasn't some sort of fluke on his eyesight. Proof of this was that, not even a week ago, he had seen her move objects in her room without even touching them. He had never seen _anyone_ do that before.

That same evening, her father came into her room, claiming that she'd called for him without even using her mouth to do so. Apparently she'd wanted his opinion on a dress she'd bought for a friend back home, and wanted to be sure it was to that friend's taste. Monsieur had approved of her choice, and the two had left for dinner.

Left alone with this turn of events, Erik had managed to return home to think things over. He quickly reasoned that Annora Xavier had abilities that rivaled his own, and with a little research in the Opera's library, he found out that the abilities Annora possessed were telepathy and telekinesis. The golden aura remained a mystery, however, but was one that he was determined to solve.

That was why he had gone to Annora's hotel room this night: he'd only wanted to talk to her, ask her about her powers, how she had managed to hone her abilities so well, and perhaps…become friends.

Her father's entrance, however, had ruined his plans, and Erik had overreacted in panic. Now he was a kidnapper, and though no one was likely to know _where_ he had taken Annora, a large search was bound to be organized in order to find her.

'_After all, a rich man's daughter is always at the top of the law enforcement's to-do list.'_

And if Annora was a mutant, then it was likely her friends back in America were as well. If that were so, a mob of angry mutants with any number of powers were going to descend on Paris soon. As powerful as Erik was, he could not take on a mob of that size and hope to survive.

Wincing, he felt her struggle against the mental darkness he had wrapped her mind in. Though her telepathic powers were miniscule compared to his, she had been very well-trained. Erik, on the other hand, had a great deal more power behind his abilities, but was untrained; they were almost evenly balanced, and he was doing his best to remain in control of the situation.

'_After all, who knows what she might do if she breaks free_?' He couldn't risk that happening.

Closing his eyes, Erik fell into the mental 'cage' he had trapped Annora's mind in. It wasn't really a 'cage', per say; more like a black void where she floated until he chose to release her. He could tell she was afraid and confused, but she was also angry, and very much wanted to be free.

Delving deeper into her mind, Erik pushed through the swirling blackness and on into her mind. It was like moving through night and coming out into the brightness of morning, where he could make out her figure as it floated in the void he had put her. Here in the recesses of her mind, Annora's mental 'self' was a reflection of her physical one, except for two things: her glow was far greater here than in the physical realm, surrounding her and showing off an odd sort of leather uniform he had never seen before. It had X's on the collar, possibly in reference to her father, Charles Xavier.

Using a bit more 'pressure,' he extracted a few of her memories and brought them out for him to watch. Faces, people, and events appeared and disappeared at random, and Erik saw that these were things from her past.

Exerting his powers a little further, he was able to focus on one memory and, without her knowing it, watch as it played through. It was Annora as a young girl playing with two young women: one with shockingly white hair, the other a vibrant red. The redheaded woman levitated a ball into the air and threw it to Annora, who 'caught' it with her own telekinetic powers. Annora then 'tossed' the ball to the white-haired woman, who blasted it aside with a force of wind.

Awed at the show of power, Erik watched as the three played for a while before growing tired of the game. Once the ball was tucked beneath the younger Annora's arm, the three headed towards the largest house Erik had ever seen.

'_That must be the school_,' he figured out. '_Annora and her friends must have been training how to use their powers_!'

Once more, he felt a sickness inside him. Envy and fury fought inside him as he desired what Annora had been privileged to: training in the use of mutant abilities, something that Erik had wanted all his life. Annora not only had that, but she'd been raised with other mutants at a school for their kind! _She_ had been accepted where _he_ had not!

Before he could stop himself, Erik dropped out of her mind and lashed out with a whip of dark power, striking at his captive. The force behind that blow should have created a huge amount of pain, but it did not. Instead, a golden bubble of light surrounded her sleeping form, shielding and protecting her completely from him.

His jaw dropped. Somehow, she had sensed his attack, even unconscious, and repelled it! No one had ever done that!

Staring at the woman before him, Erik watched as the shield slowly caved inwards, back into her body. Then, he realized that she was his equal in everything: smart, powerful, Annora Xavier was his perfect match as a mutant. Even better, her kind and generous heart would balance his anger and hatred of the world.

He smiled. Now that he had her, there was no way he was letting her go.

* * *

AN: Short chapter, I know, but the next one will be longer, I promise. Please be kind and review! Thanks!


	6. The Prison of the Mind

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Not much action in this chapter; just Annora and Erik finally meeting one another, telepathically. Hopefully it's not boring. I promise more action next chapter and afterwards, though, so I hope you'll stick with me. Thanks, and please review!

**Chapter 6: The Prison of the Mind:**

Suspended within a prison of darkness, Annora was certain of several things, none of which were good.

First, she'd been kidnapped; –that much she remembered clearly. She had been in her hotel room, and suddenly, everything had gone black.

Annora could not remember who had taken her, since she hadn't seen the person's face, but that led to the second thing she was certain of: she had been kidnapped by a fellow mutant.

She knew it had to be a mutant, because he –or she- had somehow managed to get past her father, the strongest telepath on the planet. Considering there had thus far been only one mutant (besides her Uncle Magneto) to evade Charles Xavier, it had to be the mutant they were hunting, the one who called himself the Phantom. Why he would do this, she didn't know, and it was very unsettling.

The third thing Annora knew was that he'd tried to physically attack her while she was unconscious. Thankfully, her senses were extremely well-honed, thanks to her endless training sessions with Wolverine, and her physical protections had kicked in when part of her realized she was under attack.

And last of all: Annora was being held as a prisoner inside her own mind.

That final part had made her very angry. Although her telepathic abilities were insignificant next to her father's and to Jean Grey's, Annora had been taught to withstand mental attacks since she was a toddler. Her father, both powerful and brilliant, had exercised her mind to the extreme, making sure that she would put up a fight and not come out the loser, namely with a mind either crushed or wiped clean by a more powerful telepath. Her father had also put in a few mental safeguards that would keep her mind intact until he could reach her with help.

So far, her father's work had proved successful. The mental shields he'd helped her create were strong, and able to keep her relatively safe from harm.

"It's very much like the shields you produce in the physical realm," her father had explained to her. "I want you to picture an image of your mind, or of your mental self, surrounded by one of your golden force fields. When you come under psychic attack, you will need to do this in order to keep your mind from being shattered beyond repair."

And she had. This 'trick' had so far kept the mutant, The Phantom as he called himself, from forcing her into submission. He was telepathically 'looking in' on her, attempting to see into her mind and what she was thinking, but that was alright; her memories were all that were floating around inside her little mental bubble, and she rather doubted that he'd be interested in those.

'_Unless he's interested in what life was like growing up in a school_, _which I doubt he is_.'

However, Annora had the oddest feeling that this Phantom was interested in what made her who she was. He was constantly taking a mental peek into her head, creating a little peephole in the cage of blackness he had her mind wrapped in order to see what she was thinking about. Since her mental shield wasn't exactly a brick wall (more like a shimmering golden veil), he would have no trouble 'seeing' whatever memories were floating inside her head.

And apparently he was intrigued by what he saw –even with her limited psychic abilities and mental shield, she could sense that much. But _what_ he was so interested in, and _why_, was beyond her comprehension.

'_I wish Father were here_.'

Well, he wasn't, and there was no way for her to reach him through their telepathic link. Somehow, the Phantom was blocking it, keeping her from calling out for help. She was on her own for this one.

'_Okay, Annora, don't panic. Father's been training you for this for ages, and so think of it as your final exam_.' If she passed, she'd get out of this alive and well. If not, she was in _very_ deep trouble, possibly even dead.

Well, first things first: she had to find a way to escape.

Now, Annora knew that plans for escape tended to not go as predicted. All sorts of things could go wrong when least expected, so she had to be prepared for lots of deep thinking, hard work, and possible suffering. A lot of pain was probably going to happen before all this was over, and hopefully the training she'd had would be enough to get her out of this with little psychological damage.

Her mind whirling with thoughts and ideas, Annora had to be thankful that her captor couldn't actually 'hear' what she was thinking. Thanks to her father's safeguards and her shield, the Phantom could only see the memory flashes that she brought up whenever she was bored –he couldn't actually 'see' or 'hear' what she was presently thinking. That was a major blessing, and a huge advantage on her part.

'_So at least I can plan my escape without getting caught_.'

That was the good news. The bad news was that she had a lot to do, and probably very little time to do it.

* * *

Erik could 'see' her there, safely behind that shield she had up. She was up to something, but what that was, he didn't know. Her pretty face was solemn, as though she were lost in concentration, and even though the sight fascinated him, it was also frustrating.

'_I hate not knowing what she's thinking_!'

But her mind was protected, not only by that shimmering golden shell, but also by blockades that he had to fight a losing battle against. Someone had built up many safeguards into his lovely captive's mind, and they were all very formidable. Erik had no chance against them.

Luckily, Annora was not strong enough to break free of his hold. She might be safe within a cage of her own making, but she could not break out of the one _he_ had on _her_. That was encouraging, though it didn't cheer him up much.

Frowning, Erik pulled himself out of her head and back into his own. The clock beside him chimed the hour, signaling the arrival of dawn, and he made a quick mental note to tell Antoinette to leave him alone for a while.

'_After all, it wouldn't do for her to discover my little guest. She might just try and help free her_.'

And he could not allow that.

Meanwhile, he felt his stomach growl, and knew a meal was required. If he overused his powers and did not replenish the strength he spent, he would regret it. A meal was needed.

Sighing, Erik stretched his muscles and stood up. It was time to let his captive alone, at least for a little while.

* * *

She could sense his presence retreat from her mind. He was still near, but at least he wasn't 'looking in' on her. That was a relief.

'_Still, that's no reason to let my guard down_,' Annora chided herself. _That_ was a lesson Cyclops always thumped into her head, and considering the present situation, it was a good one. Who knew when that Phantom would return and start trying to play more mind-games with her? Not soon, she hoped.

'_I wonder how long I can stay like this before my body gives out_?' she thought, looking around the swirling gold prison of her own making.

Everyone said "mind over body," but if the body hungered for nourishment and water, and was denied them, then it was only a matter of time before the mind wandered. When the stomach growled to be fed and the body grew parched with thirst, the mind could not hold firm. Her mind would start to weaken as she grew hungrier and more dehydrated, and once that happened, the Phantom would sweep in and do whatever horrible things he had planned.

'_I'd better start planning while I've got the strength_.'

But first, she wanted to know why the hell he'd kidnapped her. She didn't think that he was the sort to torture or harm people; she didn't that sort of 'vibe' from him.

'_Still, kidnapping is a crime, and I __**really**__ don't like being kidnapped_!'

Plus, what did he want her for? Ransom was a good bet, but why would he bother? According to her father's informant, this Phantom had been extorting money from the Opera House for nearly twenty years. That had to add up to a large sum of cash, so why would he resort to kidnapping when he already had a good thing going?

'_Could he want…__**me**_?' she wondered.

No, that was ridiculous. What would he want with a girl he'd never met, a girl he knew next to nothing about? That made no sense whatsoever.

On the other hand, he might have become angry at her or her father because they'd entered his sanctuary, the Opera House. But if that were so, why had he waited over a week to take her instead of cornering her while she was at the performance?

'_It might be because he's lonely. That could be the answer_.' He _had_ been at the Opera House a very long time, most likely without a great deal of human contact.

But if that was it, why wasn't he talking to her, asking her questions about herself, about her likes and dislikes? That's what lonely people did in their desperate need to find a friend, and the Phantom had done nothing of the sort.

'_This is starting to drive me insane_.'

Annora frowned, a thousand questions swirling around her, but no answers appearing from anywhere. It was damned frustrating!

Then, the sense of being watched returned. He was back

Biting back her frustration, Annora tried to keep calm as the shadow-figure of a man approached her shield, halting just out of 'reach' of it. He raised a 'hand' and touched it, only to jerk back in surprise. She could not see a face, shrouded in shadow as it was, but she didn't need to; by touching her mental shields, he'd left behind a signature that she would probably recognize for the rest of her life.

"Hello," he whispered in an echoing 'voice.'

Okay, _that_ was unexpected. She hadn't expected his telepathic abilities to be so well-honed, and for an instant, she believed him to have been taught by a very skilled teacher. However, she sensed an air of solitude around him, a sense of intense loneliness that almost made her heart break. He seemed to have long been isolated from people, and thus, the Phantom having a teacher was out of the question. So either he had to be self-taught and mastered his telepathy out of luck, or…

'_He's a genius_.'

Annora bit back a curse. This man would need to possess incredible intelligence to have such a wonderfully focused mind, which allowed his mind and powers to reach their great potential. _That_ was how he could speak to her telepathically, and keep her a prisoner in her own mind without much difficulty.

'_Father is __**definitely**__ going to have to know about this_.'

A mutant with great power _and_ an intelligence level that rivaled the Professor's –that was extremely rare, almost unheard of. Most people had either the power or the brilliance, not both. Now, here was a man that had not only eluded her father, but could actually beat him at a game of chess (a feat not easily done).

In the meantime, he was waiting for her to respond to his greeting.

"Hello," she replied, almost in spite of herself. "Who are you?"

The white eye-shaped holes in the black shadow-head narrowed, but she could sense he was amused. "You may call me The Phantom, or the Opera Ghost. I already know who _you_ are, Annora Xavier."

_That_ certainly got her attention. "You know who I am?" she asked, incredulous. "How?"

Again, the white eye-holes narrowed amusement. "I've been watching you for quite sometime. I know your name, the name of your father, and the fact that he is rich and owns a school. You enjoy shopping, but do not like to buy things for yourself. Instead, you would rather purchase gifts for the ones you care for, though the things you do purchase for yourself are of good taste."

She knew her embarrassment showed on her face. "Thanks for the compliment," Annora retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. It gave her a sense of confidence. "Now, would you be so kind as to tell me why I'm here?"

He was still amused, though slightly less so now. There was another emotion flowing off of him, and Annora was very thankful that he was so free with his feelings. With his mental 'self' appearing as a literal shadow, the only way she could 'read' him was through sensing the moods he was radiating.

And so, focusing on his emotions, Annora was able to discover what it was he was feeling.

At that moment, he was in need –raw, powerful, desperate need. Annora was able to sense that he wanted her to stay with him, though for what purpose, she'd rather not find out. All she knew was that she needed to get out of here and contact her father as soon as possible. The moment this Phantom's grip on her weakened, she was gone.

But first, she had to make him weaken the grip he had on her, something that was not easily done.

* * *

She did not trust him; he could see that clear enough. He knew she wouldn't, given the situation. What he hadn't counted on was her sheer will to defy him. Annora Xavier had a spirit in her, and he liked it. Now that he'd had a taste of her stubborn defiance and wit, he wanted more.

"Well? Are you going to tell me why I'm here?" she snapped at him from behind her shield.

Oh, yes, he liked her. She was amusing, and it had been so long since he'd been amused through a conversation such as this. Antoinette's sharpness had dulled over time, thanks to her marriage and child, and he desired more stimulating conversation and company.

But Annora was not here just for talks and debates. She was going to be his eternal companion here in the caves, but for her to give in willingly to him, he had to win her over very carefully.

He smiled, knowing she could not see his face. "Not presently," he informed her. "For now, you will remain thus, until I feel comfortable in freeing you from this little…imprisonment."

Bowing his head, he pulled away from the shield and traveled back into his body. He needed rest, but dared not release the 'cage' he had her wrapped in. A light doze would have to do for now, and when he was stronger, his work on Annora would begin.

* * *

AN: Hopefully this wasn't too boring or too short for everyone. Please be kind and review! Thanks!


	7. Breaking Free

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: More action in this chapter! Well, sort of. I hope that it doesn't disappoint, since…well, I don't want to spoil it. Hope you have fun reading and will review! Thanks!

**Chapter 7: Breaking Free:**

Sitting back in his wheelchair, Charles Xavier heaved an exhausted sigh and rubbed his eyes. He'd been telepathically searching all of Paris for his daughter and he still had nothing. The link he had established many years ago was being blocked, making so that no matter how hard he looked, Charles always hit a dead end.

'_However, she is still in Paris_.' He knew that for sure, just as he knew that the one holding her was the mutant from the Opera House.

The way Charles knew this was simple: the dark aura surrounding the Opera had left an impression on him during his visit, and the mental power from the mutant's attack in Annora's hotel room was exactly the same 'signature.' If there was one thing Charles knew, it was the telepathic signatures that all people had, both mutants and humans alike. These telltale signs were how he was able to track mutants using Cerebro, and right now, he was sorely missing that device.

'_If only I had the Blackbird_.'

He thought longingly of the jet, and the portable extension of Cerebro that lay within. If he had that, finding Annora would be no difficulty. As it was, the mutant was out there, but where, exactly, was the question. This Phantom, as he called himself, was exceptional at hiding himself, and Charles was having a hell of a time tracking him down.

'_It's like the man is invisible in every sense, even my telepathic gifts_. _He might not even be in the Opera House, but hiding out elsewhere in Paris_.'

All Charles knew was that Annora was still in Paris; his telepathic (and fatherly) ties to her were strong enough for him to confirm that, even if he was unable to communicate with her or pinpoint her exact whereabouts. Xavier was a very powerful mutant, but the Phantom was literally a shadow in every way, and just as difficult to catch. Charles had watched the tall figure lift his daughter into his arms and vanish in a swirl of darkness, as though the very shadows of the room were at his beck and call. He had not seen the man's face, but the 'residue' he'd left behind should be enough to recognize again…unless he had masked it.

'_If he can do that, then he's able to elude me like a ghost_.' That was a _very_ unsettling idea. '_But I cannot give up. Annora needs me, and if I have to tear this city apart to find my child, I will_.'

Closing his eyes, Charles restarted his search.

* * *

Annora was being searched for; he could sense it. Someone - or something – was desperately trying to find her using telepathy, and not succeeding. That was a good thing.

However, when people turned desperate, they tended to act more forcefully, and Erik wasn't sure he could hold up against the might of a powerful telepath. His own powers over the mind were great, but whoever -or whatever- was searching for Annora had far more skill and strength behind their abilities.

'_It is taking all of my will as it is to keep her prisoner and the two of us invisible_.'

However, it was still quite clear that Erik's abilities were proving effective against this unknown searcher, and that gave him confidence. Since confidence was key to a mutant's powers and strength, this was also a good sign; it gave Erik's powers a bit of a 'boost,' which he very much needed.

He had to stay strong if he wanted to keep Annora with him.

Focusing once more on his captive, he decided to see what she was up to this morning. This was her second day with him, and he had, sadly, learned very little about her. She was stubborn, to be sure, and clever, both of which he respected. If she'd been easily won over or tricked, he would have second-guessed his choice in keeping her as a companion.

'_But not just a companion_,' he reminded himself. No, he wanted Annora to be so much more than that.

But first things first: he had to convince her to lower that damned shielding on her mind. Once that was achieved, she would be open to his powers of suggestion, and then…then the real fun would begin.

* * *

Floating in her little "bubble" within her mind, Annora could sense her father's power sweep over the area she was in, then move on. He was searching for her, she knew, but was unable to find her. That was the Phantom's doing, no doubt.

Swallowing back tears, Annora tried to stay calm. She could feel her body losing strength, the lack of food and water beginning to take its toll. Once her body began to give, her mind would soon follow, and then she would be at her captor's mercy.

'_I can't even imagine what he's got in store for me_,' she thought with a shudder.

Mental torture came to mind, and Annora very much hoped that her father's protections would hold up against that, preferably long enough for her to think of a way out of this. Even though she knew he was looking for her, she couldn't rely on her father to get her out of this situation. She was on her own.

'_But I can't hold on much longer without nourishment and water_.'

On her travels across the world, Annora had gone for long periods of time without eating or drinking anything, but not while constantly using her powers. Just keeping her mental shields up was draining, and it was beginning to take its toll.

"Using your mutant abilities is like using any other muscle or limb of your body," her father always said. "Overuse will cause serious harm to a muscle or an arm, and it is the same with your powers. If you are not careful and use up too much of your strength, then they will fail when you need them most."

Annora knew that her abilities had been at full strength when the Phantom had kidnapped her, but the constant, if subtle, use of them was drinking her dry. It was like hammering a small hole in a bucket and watching the liquid slowly drain out; soon, there would be no 'water' left, and then she would be helpless.

'_Well, not completely helpless, but pretty damned close_.' She had to get out of this, and fast.

A shiver ran through the darkness that was her prison, and then he was there, white eyeholes in the black shadow form he took inside her mind.

"You will need something to eat," he told her in a kind voice. "I will allow you to wake and refresh yourself. It wouldn't do for you to become ill."

Annora couldn't believe it. He was being kind to her, _and_ he was going to feed her? Not only that, but this weakening of his power would give her the perfect opportunity to break free.

Quickly examining the energy level of her powers, she guessed to be just enough for her to break his hold and make a run for it. She just had to wait for the right moment…

* * *

From the start, Erik knew he could not let Annora stay locked in her own mind forever. Her body needed food and water, and he had no way of giving her that except by actually feeding her.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly reduced the strength of the prison he held her in, but still kept it in place so that she could not escape. Even though Annora's shields and protections were impeccable, her telepathic powers were not strong enough to break free of his hold –Erik was confident that he could maintain her imprisonment, even in a slightly weakened cage.

Gradually, bit by bit, the prison weakened, and Erik felt safe enough to return to his body and continue the process from there. Once he was safely back in his own mind, he began to gently usher Annora towards wakefulness. Watching her eyes slowly flutter open gave him a thrill he had not felt in quite some time, and it nearly killed him to keep her under his power.

'_But she must not be allowed to escape_,' he reminded himself.

To ensure this, Erik had brought a pair of thick, heavy handcuffs from the security room of the Populaire, as well as a long metal chain from the Opera garage, to ensure that she didn't slip from his grasp. He rather doubted that the shielding she created for her physical body would break through metal bindings.

As Annora tried to regain complete consciousness, Erik put the cuffs on her and attached the end of the chain to the bed. Satisfied that she could not escape, he left the room, trying to decide what he was going to feed her.

* * *

She almost cheered as the dark prison around her weakened considerably, her mind allowed to drift towards wakefulness. It was almost time to escape.

'_But first, I need to assess the situation_. _After that, I can plan a break-out_.' She had to remember to thank Scott for always stressing that lesson to her.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she felt her eyes slowly open. Blinking slowly at first, then quickly, her eyesight soon cleared to let her get a look at her surroundings, as well as herself.

She was still in her white nightgown and slippers from the eve of her kidnapping. Beneath her was a soft, down-filled bed with red and black sheets that appeared to be made from silk and satin. Fluffy pillows lay beneath her head and around it, also in expensive red and black materials. Above her floated a canopy of black lace, beside which dangled a cord that could raise or lower it like a curtain. All around her, the room was empty of occupants, save herself.

Turning her head around, Annora was surprised to see cave walls surrounding her, their surfaces gleaming with what looked like light reflecting off of water.

'_An underground lake_?' she wondered before pushing that aside. There were more important things to consider right now.

The rattle of chains drew her attention down to her hands, causing her to roll her eyes. Handcuffs and chains –she could think of several reasons why a man would put her in chains, and none of them were appealing.

'_I'm just not that type of girl_,' Annora thought with an inward sigh.

Plus, it was laughable to think that these would hold her. Focusing, she let loose a burst of force field, shattering the cuffs that held her. The chain attached to them collapsed onto the bed, useless and forgotten.

Collapsing her force field, she rubbed the blood back into her hands. When she was done rubbing her wrists, Annora proceeded to massage her legs and feet, getting them ready for her escape. If she needed to run, she'd be ready; if her legs didn't feel like cooperating, she had other ways of fleeing.

Placing her feet on the floor, she judged her limbs in good condition, and rose to stand on them. Her legs held firm, and after a wobbly step or two, Annora knew herself to be alright. It was time to go.

A doorway led into a larger, open chamber filled with candelabras and a pipe organ on the side. Who in the world played a pipe organ these days?

At her feet was a lake, shimmering beautifully in the glow of the candles as the pipe organ glittered nearby. On the opposite side of the lake, directly across from her, was, unbelievably, a portcullis that had been raised up to the roof of the cavern.

Annora's jaw dropped. '_How the hell did he get __**that**__ down here_?' Or maybe it had already been here when he arrived. Well, whether it's been here forever or not, it was something that could get in the way.

There was a rustling sound behind her, as well as a gasp of surprise. Annora turned and took a step back, her body instinctively taking a defensive stance. In the darkness of the cave, the candles did little to illuminate the room, but she could still make out the rough outlines of a tall male. She knew he was shocked she had escaped her bindings, and he was not happy about it.

She decided right then and there that it was time to go.

Lifting off from the ground, Annora threw up her golden force field, hovering in mid-air for a split second before turning and racing over the lake, flying through the portcullis towards freedom.

* * *

Erik had no idea how long he stood there, staring at the spot where she had once stood. It was impossible that she had managed to break free of the handcuffs and chain, but she had. Not only that, she had easily escaped his house, not by boat, but by _flight_!

And she had been beautiful while flying. Hovering there, a golden aura shimmering around her white clad form, she had been an angel sent from heaven. He had been speechless and frozen as she rose from the ground and stayed there, defiance showing on her face as she looked at him, her captor.

Then, she was gone. With a graceful mid-air pivot, Annora was gone, flying through the immense portcullis that kept the outside world out. He had foolishly left it open, as he had thought to go out and retrieve supplies this evening….

'_Fool_!' The inward snarl was like a slap to the face, startling him out of his daydream. '_She's gone_! _How will you find her now_?'

Panic gripped him for a moment before common sense kicked in. The underground caverns were a tangled maze, a labyrinth of passageways littered with traps that would ensnare anyone who dared to try and explore them without his permission. Only he and Antoinette knew the safe routes; no one else could do so without being captured by the traps he had set.

Sighing, Erik put down the glass of water he had intended for his guest and concentrated. It was time to travel the shadows and search for his angelic guest. It would not take long to find her. After all, she was a glowing figure surrounded by shadow.

* * *

The passages she traveled would have been terrifying if it weren't for her glowing abilities. Annora had never liked the dark, and so her mutant gift of emanating light was one that she liked very much, and used fairly often. It was very handy, especially now.

Around her was her golden shield, and over her head was a ball of light she had created while flying over the underground waterways. The light was enough to illuminate an entire cavern or hallway, which allowed her to see the strange and frightening statues that decorated the walls she passed. The Phantom had a very dark mind indeed if he enjoyed living down here.

'_Or maybe he doesn't have a choice_,' she thought, flying through another passageway. '_The Morlocks back home live underground because, unlike we X-Men, they look too different to blend in with humans_. _Maybe his mutation makes him look too different from humanity for him to fit in_.'

That could be why he lived down here, alone and friendless. Annora felt a swell of pity for him, but pushed it gently aside. First, she had to get out of here and contact her father. Then, once she was safe, she'd ask for Father's advice concerning this unfortunate mutant.

Heaving a weary sigh, Annora was just deciding to take a rest when she felt a familiar brush against her mind.

::_Father_?:: she asked carefully, just to be safe.

::_Annora_?:: his gentle voice replied. ::_Thank goodness_! _I've been searching for you for days_! _Are you alright_? _Where are you_?::

::_I'm alright_,:: she hastily assured him. ::_I…think I'm beneath the Opera House. The Phantom took me, so I'm pretty sure that's where he brought me_.::

She quickly 'sent' an image of the lake and numerous waterways she had flown over, letting her father get a 'feel' of where she was. She could almost see him nodding in agreement.

::_Yes, it is the Opera House. I remember hearing that a large lake and several streams and rivers flowed beneath it, which the builders dared not dam up. Instead, they built over them and let the water run towards the river. If you keep following the downward flow of the streams and rivers, you should come out near the Seine_.::

Annora immediately perked up. ::_I'll hide out near the river when I come out of the caverns_,:: she told him. ::_You can follow your telepathic link to me, and pick me up there_.::

That was exactly what happened.

She figured out that she had been going the wrong way, heading upstream instead of down, and had gotten lost. Thanks to her father, Annora was able to find a large open pipe leading out to the river with little trouble. When her father telepathically signaled her that he had arrived, she dowsed her glow and flew up to the car, thankful that it was night and no one could see her.

She made it to the car just in time. Her powers had been teetering on the edge of giving out, and Annora barely enough energy to fall onto the soft leather car seat, finally letting her powers get a rest. Her father handed her some clothes he had brought and closed his eyes while she changed, finishing just as they pulled into the back entrance of their hotel.

The journey up to their room was draining, and Annora had just the strength to get to her bed, pull the sheets up, and collapse under them, falling asleep within seconds. At last, she was free.

* * *

AN: Yay, she escaped Erik! However, our favorite masked Phantom _is_ looking for her again, so the peace probably won't last long.

Anyway, please be kind and review! Thanks a bunch!


	8. Out into the World

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Phantom of the Opera**_ or _**X-Men**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: More lovely fun in this chapter, though Erik and Annora won't exactly meet face-to-face until the next posting. It'll be interesting, I promise! Please don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 8: Out into the World****:**

He had watched from the shadows, awed at the sight of her floating through his underground kingdom like a lost angel. A golden ball of light hovered above her head like a halo, though her entire body glowed with a similar luminosity. The white nightgown danced and flowed around her as she moved through the darkness, sometimes flying, others simply hovering above the ground. He could sense her fear, but also her determination; she was scared, but unwilling to give up.

For two hours he watched her travel through the catacombs, her expression going from puzzlement to fear, and finally, to frustration. Erik could not help but be mesmerized, always watching this creature of light in a world of darkness, an angel fallen to the horrible world below.

All of that changed in an instant. His angel stopped where she was, right above one of the larger, deeper underground streams, and tilted her head as though she were listening to something…or someone. Erik could easily guess who was contacting her: that powerful telepath who had been searching for her.

In a moment, the confusion, fear, and puzzlement vanished from her face, leaving her clear-eyed for the first time in hours. Excitement soon found its way to her eyes, and a split-second later, she was flying through the passageways at top speed.

Biting back a curse, Erik had to keep his mind focused so that he would not loose her. For all that he knew these caverns well, it was still very possible to lose Annora down here, and it would take a very long time to find her. Thankfully, her golden aura was the perfect homing beckon, allowing him to follow her through the shadows.

It took a few moments for him to realize where she was going, and when it hit, Erik knew he'd have to stop her. She was heading for the immense pipes that drained into the Seine, and once she was beyond those, Erik knew she would be beyond his grasp. He highly doubted that a second abduction would be possible, so losing her now was not an option.

To his anger and frustration, Annora was able to flee beyond the pipes and up to the surface. Since it was night outside, finding a patch of shadow to spy from wasn't too difficult. He barely caught sight of a car pulling away, and knew that Annora was inside it.

Smiling, he knew of only one place where she would feel safe in Paris. However, he'd rest this night and travel there in the morning, when he had replenished his strength. Something told him he would certainly need it.

* * *

Shifting through the shadows, Erik was glad he had rested and eaten well before coming here. Apparently Annora's father had employed that powerful psychic mutant to keep his daughter safe, and it was taking a great deal of Erik's strength and skill just to avoid the telepathic scans being made around the room.

And yet, it was worth it. From the shadows around the room, he was able to see and hear everything with little trouble. At that moment, he was watching Annora have breakfast with her father, which happened to be a very _large_ meal.

"You need to get your strength back up," her father had said, after room service had placed the trays on the table. "You used up a great deal of your powers, so you need to eat to replenish them."

Clearly an obedient daughter, Annora did as ordered and began helping herself to the six or seven platters that littered the table. She took a bit of everything, and began to polish it all off under the watchful gaze of her father.

"I've called the others back at the mansion to let them know what's going on," Charles Xavier told her as she ate. "Many of them were willing to come out here and help with the situation."

Erik watched as Annora sighed, a mixture of amusement and annoyance showing on her face. "You mean Cyclops and Wolverine want to get over here and kick some serious butt, right?" she asked, rolling her eyes as she scooped up a forkful of eggs.

Monsieur Xavier smiled. "Well, you can hardly blame them, considering the danger you were in. They're just being protective of you, like good brothers and uncles are."

Annora snorted and finished her eggs. "I've been with the X-Men for almost a decade, and they still baby me," she complained after she was done swallowing. "When are they going to realize that I'm not a little kid anymore? I'm twenty-seven years old!"

Her father was still very much amused with her attitude. "Considering they _have_ known you since you were a little girl, it can be hard for them to see you as otherwise. And you know they do it because they love you."

Blushing, Annora ate the rest of her breakfast in silence. When she finished, she put aside her napkin and utensils before rising to press a kiss to her father's forehead.

"Well, annoying as their babying is, I do love and appreciate them. I'd better go give them a call and let the team know I'm okay."

Xavier patted his daughter's arm. "That would be a very good idea," he said, wheeling himself into his own rooms.

Just then, Erik found himself trapped between two possibilities. Should he snatch Annora right then and there, when she was alone and weakened? He knew her powers could not be at their fullest, considering how tired and pale she looked. It was a prime opportunity…

But he wanted very badly to hear the phone call she was about to make. Who were these X-Men she spoke of, and who were Cyclops and Wolverine?

His curiosity got the better of him, and Erik slipped through the shadows into her closet, which was perfectly situated for hearing everything going on in the room. Even better, Annora had turned on the speaker in the phone, giving him full access to the conversation.

"Hello?" answered a female voice, this one strangely accented. It was rich, full, and rather beautiful.

"Storm?" Annora's voice called out. "It's me."

"Oh, sweetheart, are you alright?" another female voice called through the phone. It was the same American Southern accented voice Erik had heard before, though this time it was filled with worry.

He heard Annora chuckle. "I'm fine, Rogue. I managed to pull a fast one on the Phantom, and I was able to come back safe and sound."

There was a small squabble on the other end, and several voice arguing softly before one of them dominated the phone line.

"Did he hurt you, petite?" This was also an accented American voice, but it was male.

"I'm _fine_, Gambit," Annora huffed. "Would you all stop worrying? I'm alive, unhurt, undamaged, and perfectly _fine_. Well, I'm a little tired and hungry, but other than that, I'm fine."

Just then, Eric could have sworn that he heard a knife or sword being unsheathed. "Just say the word, Annora and we'll be there," rumbled a gruff male voice. "I don't take kindly to guys who hurt young girls."

"_Logan_," Annora half-whined, half-complained, "didn't you hear me say that I'm _fine_?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to head over there and kick some serious-"

"Okay, no cussing," interrupted the Southern female, the one called Rogue. "But seriously, darlin', if you need one of us over there…"

Peeking out of the closet, Erik saw Annora smile at the phone. She was annoyed, of course, but she was also touched by their concern.

"It's okay, guys. Father and I will be heading home soon, probably tomorrow or the day after, so it'd be kind of a wasted trip for anyone to come all the way to Paris. In the meantime, why don't you tell me what you've been up to the past couple days? Anything exciting that needed our help?"

Erik listened in fascination as information flowed into his ears. Listening to the phone call, he quickly learned what, exactly, the X-Men were.

Apparently they were a group of mutants who protected 'normal' humans from harmful, dangerous mutants who hated humankind. These X-Men – no doubt named for Charles Xavier – each had their own fantastic powers, and often went out on dangerous missions, either together in pairs or as a team.

Erik was torn between wonder and envy. It was everything he longed for and imagined: mutants who lived, worked, and trained together, and thus, accepted one another without judgment. He'd wanted this for his whole life, and been denied.

'_But what if I could have all that_?' he wondered as Annora continued to chat with her friends.

What if he could belong somewhere, and have Annora as well? If he planned and acted correctly, he'd have everything he ever wanted. It was perfect!

Grinning, he focused his powers and thought of home, the start of a plan forming in his mind.

* * *

Sighing in relief, Annora leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. Now that they were safely away from Paris, she could get some decent rest.

For the past two nights, she'd slept fitfully, constantly worried that the Phantom might return and kidnap her again. Her father could not keep her safe; she knew that if he hadn't been able to track the Phantom before, then he probably couldn't do it now. Thus, the nearly sleepless nights.

But now they were on a plane bound for New York, and she rather doubted that the Phantom could reach her thirty thousand feet up in the air.

The next thing she knew, her father was shaking her awake. "Come on, child, wake up," he said into her ear. "We're here."

Eyes fluttering open, she saw that indeed, the plane had landed and the passengers were filing out the door. "Already?" she asked groggily. "How'd I sleep through the entire trip?"

Still, she did feel well-rested, and a lot better than she had in days. Maybe a long overseas flight was just what she needed.

Her father, however, looked a bit guilty. ::_I'm afraid that's partially my doing_,:: he admitted. ::_Since you've had such a rough time and little rest, I put you into a rather heavy sleep_. _You needed it very badly, otherwise you'll be suffering from exhaustion and illness later on_.::

Annora really didn't like being manipulated that way, even if Father had a point. However, he was right about her needing rest, like he always was, so she forgave him, again. It wasn't the first time he'd put her to sleep like that, and probably wouldn't be the last.

"Well, time to go," Father declared out loud, his voice cheerful for the sake of the stewardesses. "Annora, grab my bag, will you?"

Nodding, she did as he bid and got out of her chair, rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes as she gathered their carryon baggage and headed out into the terminal.

* * *

Erik had never been on a plane before, and riding in the cargo compartment was not how he envisioned his first trip on one. Sadly, it was necessary; he could not ride with the passengers, because someone might start whispering of a masked man onboard, and he could not risk Annora finding out about him. She hadn't seen him, but he didn't want to cause a scene.

His plan was simple: follow Annora and her father to their home, and infiltrate it in order to gain their trust.

But first, he had to be sure that all of his affairs were in order. Antoinette had been told that he had 'business' to take care of, and that she was not to go near his underground lair for at least a month. Once that time period passed, he would write to his old friend and admit the truth of his actions. For now, she would ask no questions, as he'd given her two month's pay to "leave him be."

Packing a few necessary items, Erik trailed both Xavier's to the airport and onto their airplane. There, he had taken refuge in the cargo compartment below decks. More than a dozen overly-large pillows belonging to passengers had been tossed in there, and with the blankets he'd stolen from the storage compartments, Erik had created a comfortable nest to travel in. Food and water swiped from carts while the flight attendants weren't looking kept him fed and hydrated. He passed the time by sleeping, or planning what to do once he reached America.

All in all, it was not a bad trip.

Once the plane landed, Erik searched for, and found, his targets as they left the airport. A large van was waiting for them, as was a small group of excited men and women. Erik studied them closely, recognizing the redhead and the white-haired women from Annora's memories. There were two men there as well, one wearing red sunglasses and another wearing a long brown coat.

Annora greeted them with hugs and kisses, calling them by name: Storm, Jean, Scott and Gambit –the others must have waited back at the Mansion. Once the luggage and everything was loaded into the back of the van, everyone got inside and off they went.

Erik had not been idle, though, and had latched on to a bit of shadow in the van's trunk. There he remained, somewhat cramped, until they reached the front gates of Xavier's house. Erik disengaged himself there, transporting into the bushes outside so that he could see what the place looked like.

He was impressed. It was a _very_ large mansion between two and three levels tall, with vast green lawns surrounding it. He could hear children playing, laughing, talking, and having fun from all around the property. On a brick archway, he could see a plaque that read "**Xavier's School for the Gifted**."

'_In other words, a school for mutants_,' he thought to himself with a smirk.

Setting down his belongings, Erik began to review how he was going to approach Charles Xavier himself, and what he was going to say to him.

* * *

Cloaking his thoughts and his powers, Erik stood before the immense oak desk, his insides quivering with nervousness. It was his first time experiencing the emotion, and he didn't like it. Meanwhile, Charles Xavier looked at him carefully, seeming to examine him for something. Erik didn't like that, either.

He had just asked Xavier for training in his powers, and this silent study was, thus far, his answer. This, however, in turn gave him a chance to study the man who was Annora's father, a man who Erik had not actually seen up close. Thus far, Erik had gotten glimpses of him and dismissed those glimpses, as his attention had been primarily on the lovely Annora.

Charles Xavier, for all that he was balding on top, was not the wrinkled, boring old father and schoolmaster that Erik had imagined in his mind. His face was kind, and still rather handsome, for an older man. There was understanding and intelligence in those brown eyes; considering what he was doing for all of the youngsters outside, there had to be. It couldn't be easy helping to raise a hundred or so young mutants.

Still, that didn't mean that Erik liked being stared at.

Suddenly, those eyes looked away as Professor Xavier set aside a stack of papers on his desk. "Well, it is rather unusual that an adult mutant appears on my doorstep, asking for help with developing his gifts. Since you are fully grown, your powers are at their fullest and will not likely become stronger, though we can certainly help you hone them to their maximum potential."

His hands formed a steeple under his chin. "Yes, I believe we can help you. I'll have one of my former students show you to a room for you to stay in." Those eyes lingered a moment on Erik's black duffle bag, sitting on the floor by his feet. "One of them can take you shopping in the next few days, if you think it necessary. Hopefully you've enough to last until then."

At that moment, the white-haired woman, Storm, entered the room, smiling. "Professor?"

"Yes, Storm," Xavier said. "This is Erik Garnier. He's heard about our school and wishes help in honing his gifts. Put him in the men's wing, please."

Storm nodded. "This way, Erik," she said, motioning for him to follow her.

Giving Xavier a bow, Erik turned and trailed behind her, weaving through numerous hallways and around dozens of students, all of them giving him curious glances before heading off to class or play.

"Don't take the stares personally," Storm told him as they headed up to the third floor. "The kids are always curious about newcomers. It's got nothing to do with your looks."

Erik actually agreed with her, since they'd just passed a man covered in blue fur who nodded to them as they walked by. The stranger's fingers ended in sharp claws or talons instead of usual nails, his ears pointing through a mane of thick blue hair, so Erik rather doubted that he was the most unusual-looking man in the place.

Storm stopped before a door in a long hallway. "This is the adult male wing. Logan, also called Wolverine, is way down at the very end of the hall; Gambit is across the hall from him. Dr. Hank McCoy and Scott Summers also have rooms in this wing, but Hank is typically in his laboratory and Scott usually bunks with Jean Grey, so they're hardly here. This room is yours."

It was the first door on the left, and opened to rather spacious quarters. A bed, desk, three chairs, and several tables gave it a sparse, but comfortable look, and there was a large wardrobe in the far corner. A door on the right likely led to a bathroom.

"Each adult has their own bathroom, so there's no need to share with the students. Go ahead and unpack, and we'll see you at dinner. I hope that you'll be comfortable here," Storm said with a smile.

In spite of himself, Erik found himself smiling back.

* * *

"Are you sure we should let him stay here?" Logan growled from the open doorway. "I smell something nasty about him. What if he tries to hurt someone?"

Charles smiled. "He's not bad, Logan. In fact, he's just like you were when you came here; lost, misguided, lonely, and angry. Some time spent with fellow mutants who can accept him and be his friends will change him a great deal, just like it did with you."

The other mutant snorted. "I doubt that. Just remember, if he hurts anyone," three glittering metal claws appeared from the back of his hand, "I get to take him down. In shreds."

"Your concern is noted," Xavier said, an amused smile still on his face. "Now, I believe you have a self-defense class to teach, and I have a Geometry class with the youngsters."

He watched as Wolverine took himself out of the room, then shut the door behind him. Shaking his head, Charles sat back in his chair and looked at a blank spot on his desk.

Logan had every reason to be worried, considering that Charles knew exactly who –and what – he was dealing with.

'_The Phantom of the Opera House, here in my school_ _and asking to be taught_.' He shook his head. '_What next_?'

Charles had sensed the other mutant the moment he entered the school. He had thought he'd felt that dark presence on the flight back to the U.S., but couldn't be sure. It was doubtful that Erik knew that Charles was the most powerful telepath on earth; otherwise he would have hid his powers completely.

'_Since he didn't, he probably just dimmed them down enough so that none of the teachers or students sensed him_.'

Besides, Charles usually 'hid' the extent of his abilities from others, which made him appear weaker than he actually was. If he focused hard enough, he could hide his powers completely, which was what he'd done while boarding the plane to and from Paris –he'd only used his gifts to search for his kidnapped daughter It was a good thing he'd hid them, too, or else Erik would have sensed something wasn't right, and who knows what would have happened then.

'_Well, this certainly is a complicated situation_,' Charles mused as his students began to file into the room. '_I'm going to train a mutant who trusts no one and has great anger at the world. Not to mention that he has a great interest in my daughter, and she had no idea about the whole thing_.'

Smiling, he began the mathematics lesson. In a small part of his mind, Charles Xavier wondered if he really knew what he was doing.

* * *

AN: Please review! Thanks!


	9. The New Guy

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: At last, they meet! Please remember that Annora has not physically seen Erik or his powers, just his telepathic ones, and even then, she never saw much.

**Chapter 9: The New Guy:**

Tucking the last of his clothes into a drawer, Erik looked around the room and shook his head. The space was the size of one of his work rooms back home; his actual bedroom in Paris was larger that the bathroom and this room put together.

'_Oh, well. I can live with it for a little while, at least_.'

Besides, how much time would he actually be spending in here? Considering the training and his plotting to win over Annora, probably not a lot.

A knock sounded on his door. "Come in," he called, relishing the moment. It was the strangest thing: his first visitor to a real room aboveground with a real wooden door. It was something he'd always wanted, and he savored it.

Storm poked her head inside and smiled. "All settled? Wonderful! Come on, its dinner time and the Professor would like to introduce you to the group."

The group? The Professor wanted him to meet the entire group, right now? But he didn't do well with people! He could imagine a thousand different things going wrong, and felt the blood drain out of his face.

A gentle hand touched his arm. "The Professor knows that you've led an isolated life, but this is necessary," Storm softly whispered to him. "This way, you know who everyone is, what they do here at the school, and who can help you with any questions you have."

She had a point, but that didn't mean he liked it. Still, if it meant getting _officially_ introduced to Annora, he'd put up with it.

Out into the hall they went, and just as they exited the men's wing, he saw her, his angel, dressed in jeans and a shimmering gold shirt, with matching sandals on her feet.

"Hello," she greeted him, a bright, welcoming smile on her face as she held a hand out. "I'm Annora Xavier. Professor Xavier is my father. You must be Erik."

In Erik's mind, chivalry was far from dead, so he acted accordingly. Gently taking her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips. "_Enchanté_, Mademoiselle," he replied, his voice soft.

A deep blush darkened her cheeks. "Oh, um, thank you," she stuttered shyly before taking her hand back. "Storm, we've all gathered in Father's personal dining room. I forgot something in my room, so I'll meet you there."

Storm nodded and gestured for Erik to follow her. He hesitated, wanting to follow Annora back to her rooms, but decided against it. It would look bad if he began his old haunting habits on his first day, and he needed to make a good impression.

Holding back a sigh, he followed his guide into the depths of the mansion.

* * *

Erik's pause took only a few seconds, but it was enough to make Storm take notice. Though she was not psychic in any way, she was good at noticing other people's feelings, and Erik Garnier was wearing his attraction to Annora for all to see.

'_Well, it's about time_,' Storm thought to herself.

In all the time she had known Annora, Storm knew that the young woman had never had a romantic interest. For someone so young, Annora Xavier had borne a great deal of responsibility, probably because she thought it was expected of her.

As far as Storm knew, her 'little sister' had been far too busy to find someone special. Being the daughter of Charles Xavier, a highly intelligent mutant with connections spanning the globe, Annora had grown up in her father's immensely influential shadow. And so, not wanting to be a disappointment to him, she had studied hard, graduated school with honors, and traveled the globe, forging friendships with both mutants and humans, just like her father.

However, Storm knew there was something missing from Annora's life: love.

Not that Annora was _un_loved, of course. She was surrounded by students who adored and respected her as a teacher and mentor, and the more senior X-Men were like family to her. No, Annora was indeed loved, but she was extremely inexperienced in the romance department.

Having grown up under her father's constant eye in the Mansion, Annora had never been able to date as a teenager. When it came to the opposite sex, the only thing Annora knew were the affections of men who were like a father, an uncle, or an older brother. Even after she'd left the school, her goal had been traveling and seeing the world, not romance. Anything the least bit romantic was lost on her, and that left her at a severe disadvantage compared to her students, who were going through the usual teenage socializing and dating experience.

'_That, plus her temper, would make any romance difficult_.'

Storm heaved an inward sigh. Beneath her usually calm exterior, Annora had a temper that could rival Wolverine's. True, she was typically patient and thoughtful even in tight situations, but if pushed too far, things could become rather…interesting. Annora was oblivious, of course; she only let her temper get the best of her while training in the Danger Room, where all evidence of anger and frustration could be waved off as self-defense or 'battle rage.' The Professor said it was her subconscious letting go of repressed anger that she never let get the best of her; Storm called it "venting."

The entrance of Professor Xavier's private dining area stood in front of her and her charge. It was here, after the students had eaten their dinner, where the adults could eat, talk, and laugh as they ate their evening meal. All of them relished this chance to unwind and have 'grown-up' time.

Pushing the double wood doors open, Storm led the way and paused when she heard Erik stop in the doorway. She threw an encouraging look over her shoulder and motioned him forward.

"Come on, let me introduce you to everyone," she said coaxingly.

However, he seemed frozen in place, green eyes wide in nervousness and, yes, of fear. Storm was thinking that Erik would have an apoplexy, when someone else came along and pulled him out of his petrified state.

* * *

A gentle hand landed on his shoulder, pulling his attention from the room full of people. Looking to his right, he saw Annora, as smile on her lips as she took his arm and gave it a small tug. When he made no movement forward, she leaned in to whisper, "It's alright. They're nicer than they look."

In spite of his nervousness, he nodded and reluctantly allowed her to pull him forward. As he walked, Erik silently thanked his foresight at hiding his powers from her. How different she treated him now compared to down in his home! Of course, she had been his kidnap victim at the time, but still! Now she was so kind and understanding; -what if he had approached her this way instead of simply taking her?

'_Taking her had been an accident_,' he reminded himself. Given the choice, he would rather this be their first meeting as opposed to their second. Though, technically, this was the first time they'd have met face-to-face in daylight.

She showed him to the table and began to introduce everyone and tell him about their powers. He deduced that her father, Charles Xavier, was the official leader of the group, though the one called Scott Summers was a close second. Scott had energy beams that shot from his eyes, if they were uncovered. That was why he always wore his red sunglasses. The redheaded woman beside him, Jean Gray, appeared to be involved with Scott. She was telekinetic, like Annora, though less powerful. And like Annora, Jean was telepathic.

Gambit could charge all sorts of objects with energy, and once they left his fingers, they exploded in a destructive force that was something to be reckoned with. Hank McCoy, also called Beast, was the one covered in blue fur, and he was not only strong, he was also brilliant. Rogue was the woman with the Southern accent he'd heard over Annora's phone. Storm, he already knew.

"Rogue's powers are complicated," Annora whispered as they sat down to eat, her hands passing him platter after platter. "She drains energy from anyone she touches. If it's a human, she absorbs their memories and strength; if it's a mutant, she gets their powers for a short time. The last time she touched a mutant, she held on for too long and got all of her powers."

Flight and incredible strength were what she'd absorbed, and she'd retained her original power of absorption. Erik made a mental note to stay out of her reach as much as possible.

But the one that made Erik truly felt anxious about was the one called Logan.

Quiet, gruff, and almost constantly on edge, the pointed-haired mutant kept giving him dirty looks as they ate. It was almost as though he knew who and what Erik was, which was impossible; Annora had said that Logan's power was an astounding healing factor that boggled the mind.

So why did it feel like the aggressive mutant could see right through him?

* * *

Charles knew that their newest addition was more than a little anxious, and it didn't help that Logan was giving him death-glares from ten feet away, either. Charles had to give Logan a few mental 'nudges' to get him to stop, and even then, Wolverine wasn't hesitant at throwing a few nasty looks out of the corner of his eye.

Thankfully, conversation of all kinds was able to distract Erik from his anxiety, if only for a few minutes at a time. Rogue asked him where he was from, while Scott asked him about his powers and his experience level with using them. Erik replied that he was from Paris, and that his powers were that of teleportation and telepathy, which he wanted to master so that he did not force anyone into a situation, even unintentionally.

"Even as old as I am, I have not mastered my powers," he told them. "I heard, unintentionally, through a few mutant thoughts that Charles Xavier was a friend to mutants, and that he was a good teacher. I need to learn the extent of my abilities, and hope that he will instruct me on this."

"Oh, he's more than a friend to mutants," Jean said, waving a fork in the air. "The Professor is a mutant, too. He's the most powerful telepath in the world."

Charles watched as Erik swallowed his mouthful of roast beef, his face unreadable. Only Cyclops's announcement that Erik would start his training tomorrow morning saved Charles from having to answer any awkward questions…at least for now.

* * *

Once the meal was finished, Erik made sure to follow the Professor into his office. There was something very important he needed to know.

"_Why_?" he burst out, once he closed behind him.

Sitting back in his chair, the older man looked at him in amusement. "Why, what?" he asked nonchalantly.

Erik scowled, his hands clenching in anger. "Why would you accept me into this school when you know who and what I am?" he demanded. "You must know; you are telepathic! You must have read my thoughts and intentions when I approached you!"

Folding his hands atop his desk, Xavier looked right Erik's eyes. "Yes, I know who you are, where you are from, and why you are here. Logan knows, of course, but then, he's got incredible instincts when it comes to a person's character. I've dealt with him already; he will keep your identity secret."

He sat back in his wheelchair. "And to answer your unasked question: No, I will not let the others know, not even Annora."

Erik's jaw dropped open. "_Why_?" he again blurted out, feeling even more confused than he'd ever been before in his life.

Kind, wise brown eyes focused on him. "Because from what I've gathered from your mind, I wish to give you a second chance at life," the Professor explained. "You deserve it as much as anyone else, maybe even more. You are a man who has led a horribly lonely and isolated life, and I would like to offer you the chance to start over again, to become part of something larger than your mere self."

A second chance! How long had Erik wanted something like that? How long had he longed for friends, acceptance, a place to belong? All of that was being offered to him almost literally on a silver platter.

Xavier smiled. "Your old life is behind you; a new path stands at your feet. That began the moment you walked through the front door. I just hope you aren't afraid of a little hard work."

"I am not afraid," Erik replied, his voice hard and determined. "I'm perfectly willing to train and hone my abilities."

The other man chuckled. "Actually, I was referring to your future attempts towards Annora. I know that the main reason you are here is to see her." He held up a forefinger. "However, neither one of you is experienced when it comes to romance, and you in particular will need to work very hard to win her over. In that, I can help you, if only a little."

A wizened old hand waved towards one of the leather chairs before the desk. Erik took a seat without a second thought, eager to hear what the Professor had to say.

"Annora is a special case," Xavier began. "She was one of the few who are _born_ mutants, and her parents decided they were not capable of raising a child with 'special needs.' I detected her abilities and traveled to her parents' home in order to see what I could do. Her parents practically threw their toddler-child at me, clearly indicating that I was now the baby's father.

"I brought Annora here, where I have raised her, trained her, and educated her as best I could. Storm, Scott, Jean and the others all joined us over time, but Annora was my first official student, and the only one I've raised from infancy. In short, she is my daughter in every way, except biologically. She's had some of the finest minds educate her, and had some of the most powerful mutants in the world as her training partners. She's traveled the globe and experienced a great deal, all of which she's brought back to fill a role as teacher and mentor to the next generation of students."

A sort of sadness drifted into Charles Xavier's eyes. "However, I'm afraid one particular aspect of her education has been overlooked. The only thing Annora is not well-versed in is romance. I have taught her everything she needs to get through life, but she does not know how to react to the advances of men."

Erik was confused. "How is that possible? She must have met _someone_ on her travels!"

Xavier shook his head. "No, she did not. Annora has been, to be blunt, far too focused on furthering my dream of humans and mutants living peacefully together. She shares my beliefs, and all of her sights have been on the distant future, not the present. You might be the one to break her of that habit."

A knock sounded on the door, causing Erik to jump in surprise. The Professor, however, didn't even flinch, and instead called out in a calm voice, "Come in."

The subject of their discussion peeked in the door. "You called me, Father?" she asked, giving Erik a smile that made his heart flutter.

His host's face filled with fatherly affection. "Yes, dear one, I did. Would you mind escorting Erik back to his room? I'm sure he's tired from his travels." Annora nodded, and her father's raised hand kept her where she was. "I would also like to you be his guide and mentor while he is here. I hope that you won't mind the arrangement."

Well, Erik certainly had no arguments! Xavier was practically throwing the two of them together, which was fine by him. '_Of course, all of the hard work of winning Annora over would be on my shoulders, but it will be worth it_.'

"I don't mind," Annora said cheerfully. "Are you two finished in here? Erik's going to have a hard day ahead of him tomorrow, so he'd better rest up while he can."

Xavier waved a dismissive hand. "Of course. You two go on; I have papers that need grading."

Rising from his chair, Erik followed Annora out the door and down the hallway. The quiet between them was slightly awkward, so Erik decided to break the ice.

"So your father is telepathic?" he asked softly.

Annora looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, he's very powerful. I've never met anyone with his skills or abilities, and I've been to a lot of places and met many mutants."

He could tell she liked talking about her father, so he continued on that thread. "Has your father traveled much?"

She gave him a small smile. "He used to, when he could walk, which was a long time ago. Since he lost the use of his legs, Father usually stays here at the school and runs things while the rest of us go out on his behalf. Father rarely goes anywhere, though he made the exception a few weeks ago."

Erik's interest was caught, as were his suspicions. "Really? Where did he go off to?"

"Actually, I went with him," she said, leading him to the men's wing. "We were in Paris looking for a mutant that was causing trouble for the Opera House. Father wanted to convince the Phantom, as he called himself, to leave the poor people alone. He was scaring them with his powers, and using his abilities to squeeze money out of the owners. A lot of people were terrified."

Annora sighed. "I'm sorry to say that we didn't succeed. I won't go into details, but let's just say that he was clever and more powerful than we thought. Father might try to send someone else over there to deal with the problem, but I'm not sure. We're still working on that."

They'd reached the door to his room by then, and Erik barely had the wits to wish Annora a 'goodnight' before shutting himself up in his room. Securely alone in his quarters, he mentally went over what he'd just learned.

Xavier _had_ to be the telepathic presence he'd felt in Paris. It would make sense, since it would take an extremely refined and powerful mind to search out one person in several million –or even billion. Just the idea of someone being able to do that boggled Erik's mind.

He bit his lip as he lay down on the bed. '_And yet, although the Professor knew I was the one who had abducted his daughter, he is willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. He has even let me into the school to train_!'

Best of all, Annora was to be his escort around the premises.

So much confusion and shock were flowing through Erik's mind that they accompanied him into dreams, though they did little to overturn the joy he felt in his heart.

* * *

AN: Please review! Thanks!


	10. The Start of Something

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Romance starts to form in this chapter, and there will be a lot more of that coming up in future chapters. For now, it'll start slow; no need to rush into anything. (wink) Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and please review! Thanks!

**Chapter 10: The Start of Something:**

Erik stirred at the sounds of young laughter, rubber balls being bounced, and happy shouts. For a moment, he thought it to be a pleasant dream, because the sounds were so joyful that he thought his imagination was playing tricks on him.

As he rolled over in bed, trying to hold on to this happy dream, bright sunlight shot through his closed eyelids and jolted him awake. Grunting in surprise, he sat up, rubbing his spot-filled eyes as full wakefulness came to him. Once his eyesight cleared, Erik realized that the sounds he thought were part of his dream were actually coming from outside his window.

Slipping out from beneath the sheets, he headed over to the elegant steel-and-glass windowpane to take a look. From here he could see a large ball court of some kind, and an array of students playing numerous games. A few taller figures – clearly teachers – watched from the side, just in case order needed to be kept.

A soft knock sounded on his door. "Come in!" he called, turning to see who it was.

Annora's head poked in. "Oh, good, you're up!" she happily exclaimed. "Come on, let's get some breakfast in you, and then I'll take you to meet Scott in the Danger Room."

Erik blinked at her. "The Danger Room?" he asked nervously.

She chuckled. "Don't worry; it's just something we call the room we train in. It's part gymnasium, part hologram-survival course, and has all sorts of fighting scenarios and levels for us to beat. The higher the level, the more dangerous the scenario, and the harder it is to beat. The computer keeps track of your wins and losses. So far, Wolverine's got the record score for wins, but that's probably because of his healing ability. He can take a beating and keep on going without blinking."

Erik gave a small chuckle, one of the few genuine laughs he'd ever given in his life. "That could be it. Now, should I clean up first, or wait?"

"I'd wait until after training, otherwise it'd just be a waste of water and soap," she advised. "But you're free to scrub your face and brush your hair, if you'd like."

While he dressed and cleaned up, Annora waited outside. He washed his face, combed back his hair, and chose an outfit he wouldn't mind getting dirty or soiled. A black half-mask that covered the top part of his face came next, and just as he settled it into place, he realized that Annora had seen him without it and not even winced. Could she have not noticed his hideous face?

He dismissed the idea as he opened the door. It was impossible for her not to, since it took up so much of the right side of his head.

"There you are," she greeted him, a smile on her mouth. "You know, you don't have to wear that."

Erik stared at her. "What?"

She gestured towards the mask. "You don't have to hide behind the mask. We've probably seen worse among the mutant and human populations, but if it makes you feel more secure, then you can go ahead with wearing it." She shrugged and headed off down the hall, motioning for him to keep up.

He didn't know how to reply to that, so he didn't. As he followed Annora down to the lower levels of the mansion, Erik tried to fight his way through the tangled mess of feelings he was experiencing. For so many years, he had longed to be able to remove his mask and walk around like a 'normal' person. When he'd discovered his mutant powers, he knew that 'normal' was something he would never be, and so he had resolved to isolate himself away from the world outside the Opera House.

Now, he was being offered the chance to 'fit in' with others. However, no one here had a face that was scarred or deformed in any way; the worst he'd seen was Beast, who was covered in blue fur and had claws on his fingertips. Erik wondered if they really would accept him if he went without his mask.

'_No, it's best to wear it_,' he decided. '_At least until they actually accept me_ _with_ _the mask_.'

By then, they'd reached the kitchen, and Erik felt his stomach demand food. Annora heard the growling noise, and laughed.

"So, what would you like for breakfast?" she asked. "Everyone else has already eaten; we tend to get our day started early around here, since this _is_ a school. We teachers have to be up and preparing breakfast long before we rouse the students for their morning classes."

"May I ask what there is left to eat, after the students finish their meals?" he questioned, looking around. "Or what do you suggest I have, since I have to face your fearsome leader this morning for training?"

Erik liked watching Annora's face develop a thoughtful look; it was interesting.

"Well," she said, tapping the right side of her chin with a forefinger, "I suggest eating healthy and eating light. You don't want to be sleepy in the middle of Cyclops's testing, but you don't want to be hungry, either."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Are you allergic to anything? You really aught to let us know so that we can plan our future meals around it."

Erik shook his head. "Not that I know of. I've eaten many fruits and vegetables with no side-effects, but I have every confidence that your doctors here can treat whatever illnesses I encounter."

Once again, Annora smiled at him. "Alright, then," she said, rubbing her hands together. "I'll make you a fruit smoothie. It should keep you on the full side until lunch, but if not, then you're welcome to have a small snack."

This morning was proving to be full of 'firsts' for him. The _very_ first thing was waking in a room full of sunlight instead of darkness; next came the welcoming sight of Annora at his door, right before she told him he didn't have to wear his mask if he didn't want to. Third, she asked him what he wanted for breakfast, and proceeded to find about any risks he might have concerning his health. No one had ever done these things for him before, and it left him feeling…good.

Now, Annora was asking him about favorite fruits and vegetables. Since he disliked the idea of veggies and fruit together in a blender, Annora managed to produce a marvelous creation that he rather liked. Milk, ice, orange juice, peaches and strawberries mixed harmoniously together in the blender, and Erik was able to savor his very first fruit smoothie.

'_How did I not manage to come up with this on my own_?' he wondered as he sipped the delightful concoction. '_I thought I was a genius, and the mixture is so simple_!'

Ah, well, it still tasted divine, and he made a note to try several different mixes in the near future. Right now, he had business to take care of.

Once his glass was empty, Annora led him to what looked to be an elevator, which he hadn't noticed before.

"Father uses this to get from one floor to another," she explained, "and where we're heading, the elevator is the only route down there. The stairs are for dire emergencies, if you can find them."

He was startled as the elevator headed _downwards_. Since they had been on the ground floor, the training room had to be located underground.

"Are there any more hidden surprises I should know about?" he murmured to her as the doors slid open.

Annora smirked at him as she led him down the hall. "Well, there's our medical center," she gestured towards a closed doorway. "That's where we get patched up after training or after a mission. Hospitals tend to not admit mutants, so we have a fully-stocked medical area where Jean or Hank can treat our wounds. They can handle most injuries, and if more help is needed, we have contacts that can be called in for emergencies."

'_Well, that's good to know_,' he thought, '_At least if I get hurt, they're equipped to see to my wounds_.'

As she escorted him down the hallway, Annora pointed out Beast's laboratory, several storage rooms filled with medical supplies (amongst other things), and, finally, the Danger Room.

Swallowing hard, Erik saw Scott approaching them, clad in a leather outfit that outlined his fit physique, but nothing more. The outfit looked very flexible, but durable, and probably provided some kind of protection from attacks.

"Good morning," Scott greeted them. "Did she feed you?" Erik nodded. "Good. First, we'll see what kind of shape you're in, then work from there. Annora, if you'll excuse us?"

She nodded and gave Erik an encouraging smile. "Good luck," she wished him before turning and walking away.

Looking at his new teacher, Erik began to wonder if he'd survive the morning.

* * *

"Okay, one last turn," Annora yelled at her students. "Shake, step, arms up, and pose!"

The girls finished simultaneously, though Kitty was still a bit wobbly. The poor girl was clearly upset by this, and knew she only had a few days left to get herself up-to-speed with the rest of the class. The recital was coming up, and Kitty was beginning to look worried.

Sighing, Annora told them to take five minutes, her eyes meeting Kitty's as she motioned for the young girl to come over. Obedient, poor Shadowcat looked terrified as she approached her teacher.

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" Annora huffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm not kicking you out of the class, especially not when you've worked so hard to get this far, busted ankle and all."

Kitty sighed her relief. "Then what?" she asked timidly.

"Loosen up, smile, and try to have fun," Annora bluntly told her. "You're moving like a robot, and you're far too tense. Just relax and go with it. If you think about it too much, you might just trip over your own feet – again!- so just try to shake it off a little, okay?"

After receiving a hug of thanks, Annora sent her student off to the water cooler in the corner –she always stressed the need to stay hydrated while dancing.

"So, how's everything?" quipped a smooth Southern voice.

Annora turned her head and gave Rogue a grin of pride. "Well, Kitty's having a small post-ankle injury issue, but I think she just needed a pep talk."

Rogue chuckled softly. "No, honey, I mean with the new tall-dark-and-handsome Frenchman, Mr. Garnier. What do you think of him?"

To be honest, Annora was trying not to. In spite of herself, she was developing a sort of crush on the man, and it didn't help that Mr. Erik Garnier was indeed tall, dark, and handsome. He also possessed a wonderful French accent, a smooth, almost hypnotizing voice, and green eyes that were so intense, it made her heart stop beating whenever he looked at her. Yup, the man was _definitely_ hot.

And of course, it wasn't often that a full-grown male mutant came to the school. On the rare occasion that one did come, they didn't stay long. Most of the time, adult mutants came seeking aid from the X-Men, and once they'd been helped, they disappeared back to wherever they came from. Few stayed longer than a week or two.

But here he was, someone new, adult, attractive, and male. In the common sense part of her mind, Annora knew it would probably be a bad idea to start thinking of Erik as anything other than a mere friend.

'_He'll probably take his training, thank us for our help, then head back to France_.'

This was often the case with past students, male and female. Once they came into their full potential, 99% left to 'find their place' in the world. Some took their education and sought normal jobs, attempting to pass as regular humans; others went in search of other mutants, either to teach, protect or help in any way they could.

Of those that remained to become X-Men, nearly all the males and females had formed into romantic pairings. Scott and Jean, Rogue and Gambit (though neither one would admit it), and there were rumors of Beast finding romance with a human he was treating at a hospital in the city. Logan was, well, Logan, and he was very much a loner.

'_Plus, it'd be way too weird to form a romance with any of the guys; they're family_!'

But Erik wasn't, so it was only natural, in Annora's mind, that she find him appealing. She hadn't grown up with him, and though he appeared older than her, he was closer to her age than most of the X-Men.

"Hello, Earth to Annora!" A gloved hand waved in front of her eyes. "Come on, Sugar, come back."

Startled, Annora blushed as she came back to herself. "Sorry, I was thinking."

Rogue smirked. "I'll bet," she teased. "But really, darlin', if you're interested in him, then ask him out."

Annora shook her head. No, she couldn't do that! What if he said no, or worse, what if he laughed at her? Nope, it was probably best just to leave it alone.

"Okay, girls, back to your places!" she shouted, clapping her hands.

Squeals of various loudness levels rang through the room as her students dropped their water cups and ran to take their marks. Annora had to smile at the sight of their skirts fluttering from their movements, the light, airy material slowly settling back down as the girls stood in their assigned places.

'_Hard to believe most of them thought they had two left feet_,' she thought with a grin.

Out loud, she yelled, "Once more from the top, ladies!"

Then she hit the play button on the music player, eyes searching for any misstep.

* * *

After all the students had gone up to their dorm, Annora joined her fellow teachers and X-Men in the den that was nestled between the men and women's wings. Here they could put on music or a movie, read a book, or just sit and chat, all in a nice peaceful setting. No students allowed here!

Spotting Cyclops on the couch, she flopped down beside him and offered him a can of soda. "So, how'd the new recruit do?" she asked, sounding nonchalant, but actually eager to hear what he had to say.

To her relief, Scott smiled. "Well, he's not in too bad of shape, physically and when it comes to his powers. He must have been working out before he came here, because he can climb, run and jump like the best of us."

Annora waited while Scott took a sip from his pop can. "As for his powers, he's got strength behind it, but not much skill or finesse. It's like he's trying to do surgery with a chainsaw instead of a scalpel, so I'm going to help him sharpen his skills, while the Professor helps with that force field thing he's got going."

Annora felt her jaw drop. "Force field?" she squeaked.

Scott nodded. "He didn't know he could do it, either, but when a battle droid sprang on him in the Danger Room, he got scared and put his hands up to protect himself. That's when a black shield popped up and repelled the droid. Good thing, too, or else Erik would be in the medical ward instead of his own room, nursing a bruised shoulder."

"Bruised shoulder?" she gasped, completely forgetting about force fields. "What happened?"

Her foster brother gave her a playful punch in the arm. "Nothing serious. He just tripped and fell against a wall, that's it. Jean gave him a bag of ice and some medicine to dull the pain, so he should be fine by morning."

Relieved, Annora thanked him and headed to check on Erik. '_Maybe I should bring him dinner_?' she wondered, heading up the steps. '_Maybe dessert to sweeten his mood_?'

She didn't see her friends grinning at each other behind her back.

* * *

AN: Oh, Annora's got a crush! No romance yet, but there will be, coming up soon.

Meanwhile, please be kind and review! Thanks!


	11. Just a Friendly Picnic

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Phantom of the Opera**_ or _**X-Men**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: I won't be able to post Friday because of the 4th of July weekend, so I'm putting this up early. It's a semi-romantic chapter, though the good stuff won't be happening for a while. Remember, Erik's going to do his best to go slow with Annora, so please try and be as patient as Erik is…or as patient as he appears to be (wink). Anyway, please be kind and review! Thanks!

**Chapter 11: Just a Friendly Picnic:**

Wincing, Erik adjusted the ice bag on his shoulder and closed his eyes. '_I don't think I've ever worked so hard in my life_,' he thought, groaning as he sank back into the bed.

Today had been full of surprises, both good and bad, though the good outnumbered the bad.

First, the bad thing was his shoulder. Apparently Erik was not as physically fit as he believed himself to be, but then, the Danger Room was unpredictable, and he hadn't known what to expect while training with Mr. Summers.

He had soon found out.

Between the battle droids, huge robots, and other weapons the Room had thrown at him, Erik knew that each and every one of the X-Men had to be in prime condition. With every second that passed, his respect for them grew, and by the time he'd finished with the "easy levels," Erik felt that he was bound to regard them all as professional fighters.

The training had left him bruised, battered, and exhausted, not to mention smelling foul. A hot shower had cleaned him up while soothing his muscles, and Dr. Grey had treated his wounded shoulder with care and kindness, something he had rarely received in his life. That had been a very good surprise for him, since he'd never been treated by a doctor before.

So far, the biggest surprise thus was when Erik had discovered another power he didn't realize he'd had: the gift of generating force fields of his own.

He'd thrown up his arms to protect himself from an attacking robot, intending to sink himself into a shadow and flee away from its plasma blasts. Then, out of nowhere appeared a large, swirling black shield, completely absorbing the powerful blasts aimed for his head. Erik could not have been more stunned than he was then.

Scott and the Professor were astounded as well. Both had observed his actions in the Danger Room from above, and when the exercise was over, they had called him in for careful questioning about his mutant abilities. Both men listened carefully, and the Professor eventually nodded his head.

"I'm going to guess that you've always had this shielding ability, but simply never had the chance to use them," he told the two younger men. "It's extremely rare for a mutant of your age to develop new powers, so it must have always existed. I'm assuming you've never been fearful like that before, and your instincts produced a shield you always possessed, but never had to use."

Xavier had had a point. After he'd moved into the Opera House, Erik had never been attacked by anyone; he'd only suffered harm _before_ then, at the hands of his parents. Then, once he'd begun showing mutant powers, he had used his abilities to be the attack_er_, and to extort money from the Opera's managers.

So now Erik honestly did need training with his powers, and that, for some reason, pleased the Professor.

He soon learned why. After Erik had been treated by Jean Grey, Xavier asked him to his office, and there Erik got another good surprise: the Professor had not told any of his X-Men, not even Annora, what kind of powers The Phantom possessed. They would never know that Erik and The Phantom were the same person.

"Basically, you now have a clean slate," explained Xavier. "Annora knows that The Phantom had strong telepathic skills, but so do many other mutants. As long as you keep your telepathic 'signature' hidden from her, she will not make the connection between you and the Phantom, other than you're both French and have telepathic abilities."

Erik had almost jumped across the desk to hug the man. A clean slate in every way! Annora would not have to know who he'd been until long after he'd won her heart. Once that happened, he'd explain why he'd taken her, that it had been a mistake and that he'd never intended to harm her.

Xavier had proceeded to dismiss him, recommending another hot shower for Erik's sore muscles, lunch, and a good rest before dinner. "Believe me, you'll need it," he said with a smile.

Erik had done all of that, and woken up before dinner, but still sore. He took another hot shower, and was laying back to close his eyes for a moment when someone knocked on his door.

Groaning, he slowly got up and went to the door, praying it wasn't a youngster –he might just yell at them for bothering him.

Lucky for him, it was someone much more preferable: Annora herself stood there, a tray in her hands as she smiled up at him.

"I came to see how you survived against my big brother," she teased. "And to bring you dinner. I figured you'd be too tired to join us in the dining room, so I brought the dining room to you."

He smiled and motioned her inside. "I hope you brought enough for two, since I wouldn't want you missing your own meal just to bring me mine."

She chuckled and placed the tray on a small table that sat underneath a window, where two chairs sat across from one another. As she set the table with silverware, he took a seat and watched her, slyly but closely.

Her cheeks were slightly pink, probably from the warmth of the sun flowing through the window onto her face. Steady hands set things up quickly, and he noticed that it was a meal for one, much to his disappointment.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I would join you, but I have a dance class tonight. The end-of-semester recital is coming up in a few days, and my girls aren't _quite_ ready yet."

If there was one thing Erik understood, it was dancers that weren't fully ready to perform; he'd seen too many ballerinas and chorus girls slow or destroy their careers, all because they hadn't practiced enough to become a soloist.

"I understand," he said, reaching for the plate she'd just uncovered. "Perhaps another time?"

She cleared her throat with a nervous cough. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd like a tour of the grounds. There are a lot of nice picnicking spots, so I thought you might…you know…want to see them."

Erik felt his heart beat faster. She was asking him on a…what did they call it? A date? Yes, that was it. Antoinette had gone on 'dates,' and explained them to him, so he knew what they were. Either that, or she was being kind, but either way, he'd go anywhere and everywhere with her.

"I would like that very much," he shyly replied. "Unless Monsieur Summers has more training for me."

Annora gave a small laugh. "No, you have tomorrow afternoon off. You'll only have class with my father tomorrow morning, to develop your shielding abilities, but after that, you're free. I've got dance classes in the morning, but nothing after that, so it works out perfectly. I'll swing by your room at around noon, and we'll head out from there. Okay?"

Speechless, he nodded, unable to reply as she vanished out the door. '_And I thought _**I**_ was supposed to make the first move_,' he thought, grinning. This girl certainly was full of surprises!

* * *

'_I can't believe I did that_,' Annora thought, stunned at her actions. Still, Rogue would be proud of her for doing it.

'_But it's __**not**__ a date_,' she stressed to herself. '_Nope, not a date; just me showing the new guy around so he doesn't get lost whenever he wonders outside_.'

Yup, just two colleagues out on a picnic and a walk, nothing romantic about it.

'_Okay, fine, it's a __**little**__ romantic, but it's not __**supposed**__ to be_!'

Annora tried to keep her cool as she sat down beside her father at the dinner table, hands reaching to accept a plate of roasted chicken from Beast. Mashed potatoes joined the meat, as well as a roll with butter, but she didn't taste any of it. Her mind was on the class coming up in a couple hours, as well as tomorrow afternoon.

She felt her father brush her mind, silently asking if she was alright. ::_I'm fine_,:: Annora assured him, sensing his worry. ::_Just got a few things on my mind, that's all_.::

His amusement showed on his face, but thankfully, he said nothing. Instead, he turned to Storm and asked how the history classes were going. Annora took the opportunity to bolt down her meal and run before anyone else asked any embarrassing questions.

* * *

After her meal had settled in her stomach, Annora was stretching in the large ballroom, which was rarely used for its designed purpose. The 'grand ballroom,' as the kids called it, was old, fancy, and only used for dance classes, self-defense courses, and the rare dance or prom that the school held for the older students. Tonight, it belonged to her and her class.

As she readied the music, her students slowly drifted in, each of them in costume, as ordered. They wore Indian garb, but a conservative version of a belly-dance outfit; her father would never forgive her if she handed out the revealing ones!

"Okay, ladies, from the top!" she yelled, clapping her hands.

The room filled with muttered words, shuffling feet, gasps of breath, and squeals. Annora hid a smile as she waited for the girls to take their places. Once the last skirt had settled, she hit the play button on the CD player.

An hour later, her students were exhausted, but progress had been made. Two of the girls had _finally_ remembered every single one of their steps, and Kitty had managed to relax a little while dancing. Not bad, for a rehearsal, and Annora dismissed them to bed with a 'good job,' something she rarely said before a final performance.

Leaving the empty hall, Annora switched off the lights and began to wonder if her invitation to Erik Garnier had been a good idea. Tomorrow, she would wait and see.

* * *

For Erik, dawn came far too soon for his taste. It seemed that he'd barely closed his eyes for sleep, and then it was time to get up. Once more, the sounds of children laughing and playing woke him, and he wondered how they managed to get up so early and be cheerful about it. Even after he'd showered and dressed, Erik was still rather grumpy about having to wake so early.

Things looked a bit brighter, however, when Annora once more showed up at his door. The smile she gave him perked him up, and he was inclined to return it as she led him downstairs. Breakfast was another 'smoothie,' with some sort of powdered vitamins.

"To give you an extra boost," Annora explained as she poured out his cup. "You'll need it later!"

After an hour with the Professor, Erik was beyond glad she'd thought ahead –Annora Xavier knew her father too well, and the energy needed to train with him. By the end of two hours, Erik felt worse than he had after a morning with Cyclops!

"That's because this is a power you are unfamiliar with," the Professor explained. "You aren't used to using it yet, so it will take time and energy for you to adjust accordingly. Annora was much the same way while I was training her; you're welcome to ask her how she managed it."

Heading for his room, Erik made a note to do just that. But first, he needed to clean up.

* * *

As it turned out, getting ready for his picnic 'date' with Annora was harder than Erik thought it would be. He'd brought everything he believed he might need when it came to winning over a woman: cologne, shaving and hair care kits, and an assortment of his best clothes. He chose a white dress shirt and black jeans for today, thinking it might be best to save the others for fancier evenings out.

'_I normally hate jeans, but this is an exception_,' he thought, combing his hair back from his face.

Antoinette had bought several pairs of the coarse pants for him years ago, and he'd never worn them. However, knowing that he needed to blend in with others, Erik had brought the damned things with him. He planned to use the blue ones for training, and the black pairs for whenever he was out with Annora. He did, after all, want to look his best for her.

The last hair was brushed into place as a familiar knock sounded on his door. Nearly dropping his comb, Erik ran to answer it.

* * *

"No, she should wear the blue dress," Jean had insisted, using her telekinetic powers to pull a dress out of Annora's closet.

Storm had rolled her eyes. "The crème dress with brown flower designs suits her better," she said, holding the garment up.

Rogue hadn't agreed with either choice. "She's always looked pretty in pink," the Southern belle put in, a pale rose summer dress in her hands.

Annora, however, had the final say: no dress!

Instead, she'd chosen blue jeans and a brown baby-doll top shot through with gold threads. It wasn't too dressy, but wasn't too casual. The others complained, but were overridden.

"It's just a picnic!" she huffed. "It's not a date or anything like that." Of course, her friends didn't believe her, but wisely kept their comments to themselves.

Now she was here, and wishing she'd listened to Storm and worn one of the damn dresses. Erik, who was looking fantastic in black jeans and a white dress shirt, was smiling at her, and she, oddly enough, felt underdressed, even if it was a picnic.

"Shall we?" he asked, reaching for the basket she'd brought.

Wordlessly, she handed him the wicker container and took his arm, blushing as he escorted her outside. She saw a few of her female students grin, wink, or give her the thumbs-up sign as she passed, embarrassing her further. The boys, meanwhile, were doing the same, though there was a lot more elbowing than there were with the girls.

Deciding to ignore the attention, Annora steered Erik out a side door and led him into the foliage surrounding her father's property.

* * *

Having grown up in an underground maze of tunnels, Erik thought he could easily find his way back to the mansion if he became lost among the trees.

He was wrong. One tree looked like another, and after many twists and turns, Annora led him into an enchanting little glade, where a stream bubbled and an open area offered the perfect spot for two people to picnic. He raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing as she stood there, thinking.

"Okay, you're right, it's too…intimate," she said, pulling him another direction. "Come on."

She led him through the trees once more, but this time, they came out near an open-sided structure of elegantly carved wood. Erik remembered seeing a drawing of something like it in a book once. What was it called? Oh, yes, a gazebo. Nearby, just on the other side of a row of trees, was the mansion.

"Here we go," Annora said cheerfully. "Open, friendly, nothing that screams 'intimate' or stuff like that. Let's eat, you must be starved!"

Erik immediately followed her up three wooden steps and put the basket down on one of the long benches, quickly following her lead of unpacking it, if only to have something to do.

Several sandwiches were soon spread on the wooden floor before them, as well as a small container of what looked like chopped cabbage mixed with mayonnaise, and something Annora called 'potato salad.' Bottles of water and lemonade stood along the wide wooden benches, the liquids shimmering in the sunlight. Glancing upwards, he watched as the thin layer of clouds hovering overhead miraculously began to clear.

"That can't be normal," he muttered, shading his eyes as the light shone in his face.

Annora, who had been in the middle of unwrapping a ham sandwich, paused in her movements and followed his gaze. Then she scowled.

"That would be Storm's doing," she muttered, handing him the sandwich. "She's probably watching us from the observation level."

She pointed to a large dome at the top of the mansion. Erik couldn't see anyone, but he wasn't surprised; Storm had probably done her 'good deed' and left by now. He shrugged and accepted the sandwich, taking a healthy bite as he watched Annora scoop out the salads onto paper plates.

Soon, the food was devoured and Annora decided that they could leave the nearly-empty basket at the gazebo. Erik heartily agreed and offered his arm, inwardly thrilled that he'd rolled up his sleeves before he ate; the feel of her warm fingers on his skin sent a thrill up his spine. He caught the slight blush on her cheeks, and knew that she felt the same way.

"Where to, Mademoiselle?" he asked, gently placing a hand atop the one that rested on his arm.

* * *

'_Oh, boy, he's really got nice arms_,' she thought, leading Erik towards the trees. '_And he smells good, too_!'

Damn it, she shouldn't think about him like this. She'd only known him for, what, a day and a half? They were barely even friends; how could she think about Erik like this?

'_Besides, he probably doesn't think of me like that anyway_.'

Not that she had any experience when it came to men. Life had been too full of learning, training, and traveling to think about boys (or, as she grew older, men). Plus, there had been no young men around during her teen years, and by the time males were running around the mansion, she was either too old or too young for them. The students were definitely off limits, and the X-Men males were all taken or considered family –dating them would be like dating an uncle or older brother. Ew!

'_Better stick with the friends idea_,' she decided, liking the feel of his arm under her hand. '_It probably won't move any further than that_.'

But, oh, how she wished it would…

* * *

AN: More romance coming up, I promise! Thanks for reading, and please review!


	12. A First Date, Sort of

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Yes, Erik and Annora's first date! Well, sort of. I hope that it meets everyone expectations. Please let me know what you think by reviewing! Thanks!

**Chapter 12: A First Date (Sort of):**

Grinding his teeth, Erik did his best not to think about Annora, and failed. It had been nearly a month since their picnic, and they hadn't had an afternoon alone together since.

'_How am I supposed to romance her when I can't even see her for more than an hour, total, each day_?' he thought in frustration.

It didn't help that Scott took up his mornings now, even coming to get him instead of Annora. Apparently someone thought it would be 'easier' on everyone if his laser-eyed instructor took him to the training room, instead of Annora doing it.

As for his afternoons, however, were a different story. Now, for a few days a week, Erik was officially a teacher at the school.

It had been a very surprising turn of events. At first, the Professor had taken possession Erik's afternoons to teach him about his powers. Then, as Erik required less and less time in class, Storm began to integrate Erik into the society of the school. She did this by introducing him to the students and seeing how he 'mingled' with them on the weekends.

At first, he'd been apprehensive, since 'mingling' wasn't something he was skilled in. However, it seemed Annora had been right: his facial deformity was barely noticed by teachers and students alike. Apparently strange markings weren't that unusual in mutants, and were often a hint as to their mutant powers, so Erik didn't stand out as much as he thought it would.

Even more surprising was that the children and teens responded rather well to him. The students thought it amazing that Erik possessed 'cool' skills that were completely unrelated to his mutant powers, namely his artistic talents.

One afternoon, after he'd been there a week, Storm had brought him into a weekend art class and seated him at a corner table, hoping he could watch and possibly even 'mingle' with the kids. Instead, he'd immediately begun carving a piece of wood, turning the ordinary block into a gracefully dancing woman. One small arm arched elegantly above the woman's head while the other held up the hem of her long gown. Even in a rough form, it was pretty, and several students stopped working to come and watch him carve.

He thought of the figure sitting upstairs on his desk. In the end, the figure vaguely resembled Annora, though only Erik knew it was her. The hair was too long, and the eyes were half-closed, but it was in Annora's image that he'd crafted it. No one else saw the resemblance.

After that day, Erik was a constant request in the art classes. Students asked if they could watch him craft something, or if he could help them with whatever they were working on. He would suggest something for one student's painting, or another's clay sculpture, and they would always thank him for it.

Then Storm suggested that _he_ take over the art classes.

"I have no real talent for art, but someone needs to watch over them," she'd explained to him. "The children like to express themselves and their imaginations, so that's why we have it open to everybody. The best I can do is supervise and point the kids towards the right books for any questions they might have.

"You, on the other hand, are overflowing with artistic talent, so if you decide to stay at the school, you can take over. I think you'd make a bigger impact on them, and you could help develop their potential even further."

Erik couldn't imagine himself teaching, but offering advice to the children _did_ make him feel good; a few of them did, in fact, have some artistic potential, and Erik felt compelled to help them grow into that potential. One or two had asked him for intense help already, and he couldn't help but say yes.

What happened next was almost like a long-discussed conspiracy: not long after Storm had made her suggestion about him teaching the kids, Erik had been deemed fully trained by the Professor.

"All you simply needed was to learn control and to be ethical when using your mental powers," Xavier had explained. "Since you have achieved that, I no longer have anything to teach you."

But with this "graduation" came almost a demand: if he wanted to stay at the school, Erik had to earn his keep by instructing the art classes on painting, drawing, and clay working.

Of course Erik would stay; Annora was here, and if he wanted to be near her, he had to remain at the Mansion. So, half grudgingly, half willingly, Erik accepted the position as art instructor. That had been more than two weeks ago, and now he was beginning to think it was a planned conspiracy against him.

'_If only because this new job means more time away from Annora_,' he thought, grumbling to himself.

Wonderful, now he sounded like Wolverine. That mutant was always giving Erik glares or muttering under his breath…at least, Erik _hoped_ it was muttering. He'd heard about Logan's temper, not to mention the primitive side of Logan's personality, and Erik very much wanted to stay on the man's good side.

'_If there __**is**__ a good side_.' Erik snorted. Well, of course Logan had a good side; he just never showed it to Erik. Annora saw a good deal of it, but that wasn't surprising, since Logan loved Annora like an uncle loved a favorite niece.

He sighed. '_Oh, Annora_…'

The few times Erik had glimpsed her was between classes, and even then, it was only for a moment. Since she knew him to be psychic, Annora sometimes tapped her right temple, trying to get him to talk to her telepathically. Erik never replied that way; he feared her response if she recognized his telepathic 'voice,' so he shook his head and subtly gestured to his lips, indicating that he'd rather talk to her with his mouth than with his mind. She understood that, though it did somewhat puzzle her.

But there was never time to speak, not even at dinner time. Annora was usually busy trying to whip her dance class into shape for their recital, which had been pushed back when half of the students had come down with a bad case of the flu. Now they were making up for lost time by training in the afternoons and evenings, causing Annora to either come to dinner late, or not at all. It was very frustrating.

'_On a positive note, the X-Men are beginning to accept me more. Well, except for Wolverine_.' Scott had even asked if they could train together as a team, an offer Erik had been more than happy to accept.

And he was now finding himself included more and more in the dinner conversations, the others asking how his morning training with Scott was going, and if the students were making progress in the art courses. He would reply accordingly, though he was still trying to not be awkward when it came to the usual 'chit-chat.'

Yes, everything was going well, except for when it came to Annora. Erik wanted desperately to spend time with her, but until the recital was over, he would have to bide his time.

He sighed. The recital could not come soon enough.

* * *

Three days later, Erik found himself leaning back against the wall of the school's auditorium. It was actually a ballroom, but today it was for Annora's dance class, so the term 'auditorium' was a better fit. All of the teachers and students of the school were here, and even though Erik would have preferred to stay in his room, he thought it better to attend. Besides, he wanted to show Annora his support.

And speaking of Annora, Erik could see her in the corner, her eyes focused on the girls taking their places in the center of the room. Occasionally, she would look at the audience, but her eyes always went back to her students. Once everyone was in place, the room quieted, and he saw her press the start button on the sound system.

Exotic music filled the air, and he turned his eyes away from the dancers to focus more on their teacher. She was only fifteen feet away, and easy to reach, but her attention was now solely on the students moving along to the music. It was funny how much she resembled Antoinette Giry that way, right down to the pinched scowl on her face as she searched for a misstep or wrong movement.

Amused, Erik began to slowly and silently make his way along the wall, inching closer to Annora's side. She noticed his movements and briefly turned her attention towards him as he reached her.

"They look wonderful," he whispered for her ears only.

"Thanks," she muttered back, brown eyes focusing on her students once more. She seemed to sense there was more he wanted to say, because she asked, "Was there something you needed?"

Erik softly cleared his throat. "Storm told me there is an event called an arts-and-crafts fair happening tomorrow," he murmured shyly. She nodded. "I was wondering if…if you would like to…"

Annora turned her head to look at him, surprise written all over her face. "Are you…asking me out?"

He shifted nervously. "Yes," he admitted. "And I think I am doing it very poorly."

She smiled at him. "I'd love to go," she whispered. "How about we head out tomorrow, midmorning? Is that okay?"

Thrilled, Erik nodded and made his way back along the wall, grinning all the way.

* * *

Brushing her hair back, Annora studied herself in the mirror and wondered if she should change her top again. This was her third shirt in less than fifteen minutes, and she still didn't think her outfit looked right.

"Pink never was my favorite color," she muttered to herself.

Her friends, however, said she looked charming in pink, so she thought it might be a good thing to wear on a first date. Right now, though, she was regretting the choice, and was running out of time and options.

'_The brown baby doll shirt_,' she decided. '_Not too flashy, it's flattering, and if I get dirt or something on it, no one will notice_.'

Good choice. The pink top joined the green and red ones on the bed, and the brown shirt replaced it. Sneakers were a good idea, too, and once those were on, she was ready…sort of.

Grabbing her purse, Annora flew out her door and ran right into Storm. "Oh, thank goodness!" she gasped. "Is my hair okay? I woke up with a total mess, and can't get it to do _anything_ today!"

"You look fine," Storm assured her. "And before you head downstairs, I think you should know that Scott, Jean, Rogue, Logan and I will be going with you. No, don't look so crushed. We're not chaperones; we just want to enjoy the fair."

Annora snorted. "Since when did Logan start enjoying homemade jewelry and fudge? No, he's going as a chaperone; no use pretending otherwise."

Her foster aunt smiled and tossed her white hair over her shoulder. "Well, Rogue and I will try and keep him busy so you and Erik can have a good time. Now, let's get downstairs; the minivan is waiting."

'_Great_,' Annora thought, humiliated already. '_Bad enough that the others are coming, but we're taking the school __**minivan**_! _What am I, fourteen_? _They must be punishing me for something, I know they are_.'

Waiting at the entrance to the garage was Erik, dressed in dark blue jeans and a green shirt that not only matched his eyes, but was also relatively tight, showing off muscled arms and a lean waist with a nice set of abs outlined by the green material. It took all of Annora's restraint to not start drooling at the sight.

Then he smiled, and her knees quivered. '_Oh, god, I'm not going to survive this. How can he __**not**__ know the effect he has on women_?' Even the mask added an air of mystery to him!

He held out a hand, and Annora placed her fingers in his palm, her cheeks reddening as he pressed a gentle kiss to them. "You look lovely," he softly told her.

Annora felt her whole face flush. "Thanks."

"Okay, time to go," growled Logan as he came up behind her.

She sighed. '_Definitely not the kind of date I had in mind_.'

* * *

Looking around, Erik breathed a sigh of relief. Logan had been dragged off by Storm and Rogue while Scott and Jean were on their own romantic stroll through the different stalls and booths. He was finally alone with Annora.

"I'm sorry," he apologized as they paused by a stall selling grilled chicken skewers. "I thought to bring you alone, not the rest of your…family."

She smiled and shook her head. "Oh, it's not your fault. Besides, I'm amazed that Storm got Logan away from us so quickly. We haven't even been here twenty minutes, and I expected him to be with us for at least an hour."

Now it was his turn to smile. "Well, now that we're alone, where would you like to go?"

They started with decorations for the home or a person's bedroom, slowly working their way through until they reached the stalls that sold homemade jewelry. Annora stopped at each and every jewelry stall, picking up pieces and trying a few on before heading to the next one.

Erik, meanwhile, was fascinated at the different array of expressions she could wear while shopping for so simple a thing as a bracelet –it was like watching art in motion. And he would happily have bought her anything she wanted; the Professor was actually paying him for teaching the art classes, so he certainly had money. Plus, an envelope with a large amount of Euros lay in his desk drawer back at the Mansion, waiting to be converted to the American dollar. Erik was far from poor, and he badly wanted to buy Annora something.

"Oh, that's so pretty!" he heard her half squeal, half gasp. "Erik, look!"

It was a stall selling glass. Vases, pendants, bracelets, necklaces, and small glass vials were everywhere, each piece bearing designs that ranged from adorable, to silly, to elegant. All of them were beautiful, but Annora was admiring a pendant the size of a large coin dangling from a heavy gold chain. The pendant was clear, yellow-tinted glass with a golden rose in the center, surrounded by tiny bits of golden glass bits that resembled glitter. It was breathtaking.

She flipped the price tag over and winced. "Uh, never mind. Its bit out of my price range."

Erik watched with a breaking heart as she gently set the piece down on the velvet covering the countertop. As she moved onto the next stall, he reached into his wallet and retrieved the correct amount of money, picking up the pendant while paying the elderly man behind the counter.

"Ah, so that's how it is," the man said with a wink and a smile. "Sweet on her, huh? Well, if that's the case, then here's something that might sweeten the pot a bit."

He handed Erik a pair of small hairclips carved from deep brown wood. Etched into each of these was a white rose, surrounded by delicate leaves and vines in different kinds of colored woods.

The old man leaned in, whispering, "My wife makes these and sells them a few stalls down." He pointed down the aisle. "I figure you need these to win over the lovely lady. Good luck." He winked and turned to help another customer, leaving Erik speechless.

When he finally gathered his wits, Erik went to find Annora, completely ignoring the odd looks people were giving him. It might have been because of his mask, but he didn't care; he had a gift to give! Clutching the pendant in his hand, his eyes searched for his 'lovely lady.'

Annora had moved past two stalls and was looking at the goods at a third, her eyes fixed on the wind chimes moving in the breezes. He smiled and slowly slipped up behind her, unclasping the gold necklace and slipping it over her head.

She was so taken in by the twirling wind chime in front of her, she didn't notice anything until she felt something smooth and cool land just above her breast. Looking down, she saw the rose pendant she'd admired and gasped, a delighted smile on her lips.

"Do you like it?" Erik whispered into her ear.

She turned, still smiling, to look up at him. "You didn't have to-"

"I know," he said, gently fingering the chain around her neck. "I wanted to."

Blushing, she looked down at the shimmering glass. "Thank you," she whispered.

His hand left her neck and took up one of hers. "I think you will like these as well."

Annora chuckled and looked up at him. "More gifts?" she asked as he put the clips into her palm and closed her fingers over them. Opening her fingers, she gasped. "Oh, they're perfect! I was looking for hairclips, too!"

Indeed, they'd stopped right at the stall which sold wooden jewelry. Erik saw the old woman at the counter wink at him; she knew her husband the glassblower had given the hairclips to him. He smirked back at her before returning his attention to Annora.

"What do you think about lunch?" he asked as she put the clips into her hair.

"Okay, but I'm buying," she told him while grabbing hold of his arm. "You've done enough spending for today."

Well, when she put it like that, it was hard to argue.

* * *

Half an hour later, Erik felt like his stomach would explode. Within thirty minutes, he had consumed his first hot dog, split a basket of curly fries with Annora, and experienced the fun of cotton candy for the first time in his life. Annora thought it was funny that his tongue was blue, but since she had the same problem, the amusement was mutual.

"There you are!" exclaimed a familiar male voice. "Jean, I found them!"

Laughing, Annora hugged Scott around the shoulders. "Yes, you found us. Is it time to go already? It seems like we just got here."

"Actually, it's been two of the longest hours of my life," growled Logan as he came up behind Scott. "Can we go now? If Storm and Rogue show me any more jewelry or girly things, someone's going to get hurt."

Annora snickered. "Then you should have stayed home," she snidely replied. "It's your own fault."

Erik had the feeling that if Annora had been male, Logan would have smacked her in the back of the head, or punched her. As it was, all the foul-tempered mutant did was glare at her and head back towards the minivan. Chuckling, the rest followed and piled into the vehicle.

Tucked into the back of the van, Erik was able to watch the women compare and show off their purchases. It was amusing to watch Jean show off a silk scarf, only to have Rogue present several bars of organic soaps of different scents. Storm had bought two long skirts made with a swirl of different colors, but Annora's pendant and hairclips outstripped them all.

"Erik bought them for me," she told them, smiling as a blush tinted both her cheeks and Erik's.

The other women cooed over them, then cast knowing looks in Erik's direction, which Annora completely missed as she admired her pendant. Storm and Jean smiled encouragingly at him while Rogue winked.

On the opposite side of encouragement, the hostile protectiveness rolling off of Logan could be sensed even in the back seat –and as a telepath, Erik most definitely heard the curses and threats that he was unable to utter with so many women present. Scott seemed on Erik's side, but not Logan. As the van pulled up to the school, Erik made a note to try and get on the Wolverine's good side –or at least try to make him less hostile.

As the van pulled into the garage, the most wondrous thing happened.

After Rogue had literally dragged Logan into the house, followed by the others, Erik found himself once more alone with Annora. He watched her face redden slightly, and was caught completely off guard as she floated up to his eyelevel.

A moment later, her lips pressed gently to his, the sensation sending warmth through his entire body.

The kiss lasted only a second, but to him, it was a perfect eternity. His first kiss, as well as hers…

"Thank you for the wonderful day," she whispered before fleeing the garage, her face red.

Grinning like a fool, Erik followed close behind.

* * *

AN: Their first kiss! Isn't that sweet? Much more of _that_ coming up in future chapters, I promise. Please be kind and review! Thanks!


	13. Second Chance for a Date

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: I'm posting early because I won't be able to on Friday, as usual. There is a bit more romance in this chapter, not a whole lot; I didn't want it to be _too_ sappy. (winks) Please be kind and review. Thanks!

**Chapter 13: Second Chance for a Date:**

Shutting and locking the bedroom door behind her, Annora swallowed harshly.

'_Did I just kiss him_?' she wondered to herself. '_Oh, lord, why did I do that_?'

Well, he was handsome, sweet, and had a wonderful French accent. He'd also given her two thoughtful gifts on this first 'date' of theirs, though she couldn't count it as an official date. Days out with a van full of people hardly counted as a romantic date, in her mind.

'_But he really was sweet, and I liked spending time with him_.'

A hand drifted up to her necklace, and Annora let her fingers brush the cool glass heart. It had been her first time on a date, and it'd gone much smoother than she'd thought it would. Dating had always been a tough issue; her entire childhood and young adult life had been filled with training her powers and being educated by her foster family.

Even after she'd left the Mansion to see the world, Annora had been too shy to try dating –she'd been too focused on seeing the cities she was visiting. Not to mention that the people around her were usually suspicious of strangers. Besides, she had always doubted that a 'normal' man would have ever asked her out. Even if one had, she would have had to hide who she really was when they were dating. Once her boyfriend found out she was a mutant, he'd be gone, persecuting her for her powers.

But Erik was different. He was a mutant, too, and he wouldn't scorn her for being one. She'd seen his acceptance of her in those eyes of his; they seemed to sparkle during their day out, and when he'd kissed her hand, Annora could have melted into the floor.

'_How many guys kiss a girl's hand these days_?' she wondered, heading for her vanity table as her fingers began to unclasp her necklace.

Not many, and not many guys would look so fascinated at females comparing their latest purchases, either. Most men wouldn't have looked so amused at a mouth turned blue by cotton candy, either, or helped a girl out of a car with such a careful touch of the hand.

Gently setting her new pendant and chain in her jewelry box, Annora knew Erik to be a gentleman in every sense of the word. He was kind, gentle when it came to handling her, and even though he hadn't liked going out with Scott, Jean and the others, he'd accepted it and had fun.

She froze, hands lingering over the smooth wood of the vanity table. If Erik had an old-fashioned, gentlemanly upbringing, then did her spontaneous kiss of thanks put him off? Had she ruined all possible future dates with one stupid mistake?

Annora felt her heart drop to the floor. She couldn't take it if that happened. Erik had been genuinely surprised by the kiss, but what if it were more than that? What if he disapproved of it?

She sighed. '_I guess I'll have to wait and see_.'

Too bad she never was good at waiting.

* * *

Erik was heading to get some breakfast when he heard someone calling him. "Erik, may I speak to you for a moment?" Turning, he spotted the Professor wheeling towards him from the elevator.

Biting back a groan, Erik nodded, though privately he felt it a bit too early in the morning for a private talk. '_Especially since I've been up all night thinking about Annora's kiss_.'

Resigned, he followed the Professor to the private study. After the door was shut behind him, Erik took a seat, waiting anxiously for Xavier to speak.

"I know that you took Annora out to the arts-and-crafts fair yesterday," the older man stated, all ten fingertips pressed together to form a peak, his chin resting on them.

Erik felt sweat begin to form on the back of his neck. Did the Professor not approve of him forming a relationship with Annora? True, Xavier had said that he wouldn't mind such a thing, but had he changed his mind? Above everything, Erik feared being ordered to leave just as he was starting to become close with Annora.

"I would like to apologize for the others going along."

Blinking, Erik wasn't sure if he heard that right. "Uh…"

Xavier didn't give him a chance to speak further. "If I'd known what they were planning, I would have stopped them. However, since they, literally, have no idea that your heart is set on Annora, they probably felt an obligation to go and chaperone. She is like a little sister or niece to all of them, and all of my X-Men feel the need to look out for her."

"That's quite alright, sir," Erik hastily assured him in relief.

The Professor waved a hand at him. "I think that, since your first 'date' became a group outing, your second one should be much more private. So I'm giving you a pair of tickets to the ballet this evening, which you will be driven to after you take Annora out to dinner at an elegant restaurant."

Erik could only sit and gape. "What?" he deadpanned, staring at the smiling man behind the desk.

"An evening out alone with Annora is exactly what you need," Xavier stated. "A car will be here to pick you both up tonight at six o'clock. I hope you'll be ready by then."

Clearly dismissed, Erik walked out of the study, dazed and confused, and wondering what on earth he was going to wear tonight.

* * *

She hadn't slept well last night, and when she woke at dawn like usual, Annora knew she'd be very cranky with everyone if she left her room. Luckily, she probably wouldn't have to; since her class had had its recital, the school year was officially over for her. If she wanted to, she could hide out in her room and sleep all day with no one to care. Which was what she did. After waking up at her usual early hour, and finding herself grumpy and exhausted, Annora had promptly gone back to sleep, pulling the covers over her head to block out the sunlight coming in through the windows.

The next thing she knew, it was noon, and definitely time to get up. She could tell it was noon because of the clamor the kids made whenever it was time to eat, and if she wanted to get any hot food, she'd better move her butt.

A quick change of clothes, a brush through her hair, and a pair of sandals slipped onto her feet, and she was literally flying downstairs, her nose twitching at the smell of food. Chicken nuggets, if she wasn't mistaken, and fries. There'd be salad, too, for those who didn't care for meat or fries, and hopefully some fresh fruit. Annora loved fruit salad.

She arrived just after the last student had been served, and managed to squeeze in line between Beast and Gambit to get some food for herself. Beast gave her a friendly smile and spooned some freshly cut pineapple onto her plate, knowing it was her favorite. She gave him a grin of thanks and scooped up some nuggets and fries before Gambit grabbed them all.

"Slept a bit late today, didn't we, _petite_?" Gambit teased as he swiped a small fry from her plate. "You're usually up with the rest of us."

Annora stuck her tongue out at him and put a shield around her plate, protecting her food. "I had a bad night sleeping," she retorted. "Plus, my classes are over; I deserve a little extra rest."

The Cajun chuckled and ruffled her hair before heading to a corner seat, away from the chaos of students. Logan, who was already there, waved a fry at her with a smile, though it quickly faded as someone came up beside her.

"You are late," a soft French-accented voice whispered to her.

Rolling her eyes, she looked up into Erik's sparkling green orbs. "I slept in. End of story. Now, would you like something to eat?"

He laughed softly and picked up a plate, tossing the occasional glance over his shoulder as he helped himself. "I think that Logan does not approve of my being near you. He does not seem to like me."

Annora reached out and patted his arm. "Don't take it personally. He's usually not friendly with anyone, not even the X-Men. But Logan is a good man, even if he can be overprotective. He just wants to be sure I'm okay."

Looking at Erik's handsome face, she noticed he was blushing. "I was, um, hoping that you would like to join me for an evening out tonight," he muttered. "Dinner, followed by some time at the ballet? The Professor said you enjoy the arts, so I thought it would be alright."

She felt her heart flutter, then stop. '_He's still interested in me_!' her mind screamed. '_And he's just asked me out again_!'

Her own cheeks flushed as she looked down at her own plate. "I'd love to," she whispered. "What time should I meet you downstairs?"

Erik released the breath he'd been holding. "Six o'clock?"

Annora looked at him briefly, face still aflame. "I'll be there." Just then Jubilee called for her to join the group. "I'd better go. I'll see you tonight."

Still blushing, she fled to the safety of her young students.

* * *

One outfit after another was rejected, all of them spread out on his bed and every available chair in his room. Looking at the mess, Erik scowled.

"I have nothing to wear," he snapped to the open air.

That wasn't exactly true. Erik had brought a lot of elegant eveningwear, just in case this sort of date happened, but now that he looked at it, he didn't think any of it was good enough to be seen in by Annora. Lots of silk, velvet, and other expensive materials made up these clothes, and they were tailored for his body, but still didn't think them good enough. He wanted to look perfect.

His hand reached up to brush the right side of his face. Funny, the disfiguration no longer bothered him as much as it used to. Annora had accepted it without blinking twice, and so had the rest of the school. He'd continued wearing his mask, of course, but all of his focus was no longer on the deformity that had marked him since birth. He had been accepted, and that had made him feel, well, _good_.

'_I'm happy_,' he realized with a smile.

Erik had never been happy before, not like this. The male X-Men (with the exception of Logan) had cautiously begun to form friendships with him, sometimes stopping him for a brief chat or to clap him on the shoulder, saying he was doing a fine job in teaching the students art.

He grinned. '_And I'm having fun, too_.'

Good fun, not the sort of fun that came from tormenting others for his own amusement. Once, when Annora had been busy with her own students, leaving Erik alone to amuse himself, Gambit had found him and started to teach him how to play cards. It had been fun.

But back to his main problem: finding an outfit for the night.

A knock on his door surprised him. Who would be visiting him? The students never entered the adult wings, unless it was an emergency, and he doubted that any of the X-Men (besides the Professor) would want to see him about something.

Opening the door, Erik was surprised to find Gambit, Beast and Scott gathered at the door. For a moment, he was confused, but then the confusion turned to panic. Were they here to lecture him on how to treat Annora, maybe even threaten him on what would happen if 'things went wrong'?

Then he noticed the friendly smiles on their faces and was confused again. "Can I help you?" he cautiously asked, looking at the trio.

"We're here to assist you with choosing the correct evening attire," Beast said, nodding towards the bed. "I'm afraid the ladies have been gathered for well over an hour, so they have a head start."

Gambit looked at the clothes scattered around the room. "Then we'd better get started," he said, grabbing Erik's arm and leading him to the bed. "Hmm, nice stuff you've got here. A bit stuffy for Gambit's liking, but still nice."

Scott snorted and closed the door. "Just because he wants to dress formally doesn't mean it's stuffy, Gambit. Besides, Annora might like seeing him in formal wear."

Erik looked at the laser-eyed mutant. "Do you think so?" he asked, maybe a bit too eagerly.

The three other men smiled. "Let's get to work," Scott declared, picking up a jacket.

* * *

Wincing, Annora reached up and patted her hair nervously as she headed out of her room. She'd just been attacked by her friends, and they had all done their best to get her ready for her date. Storm had done her hair while Rogue and Jean had picked out an outfit for her to wear tonight.

'_I hope they didn't overdo it_,' she wistfully thought as she floated down the stairs, flatly refusing to walk down steps in the uncomfortable shoes that Jean had chosen for her.

When she saw Erik, Annora knew that her friends had been right to glam her up. He was dressed entirely in black: black silk shirt, black dress pants and jacket, and black leather shoes. The dark color set off his olive-tan skin, and the white half-mask on the right side of his face drew her gaze towards his eyes, which blazed a fiery green.

And the way he looked at her with those eyes stole her breath away.

* * *

Erik immediately felt his mouth go dry. Annora, dressed in a red-and-black silk dress, was breathtaking, the two colors setting off her dark hair and eyes perfectly. The material ended just at her knees, showing off the elegant black sandals on her feet.

Her hair was stunning, too –it had been gently crafted into soft, loose waves that shimmered in the light of the hallway. More than anything, Erik wanted to touch the beautiful strands, but didn't dare.

"Mademoiselle," he said, offering his hand. They had a full evening ahead of them.

She placed her fingers into his palm, and he kissed them, taking in the faint perfume or lotion she had used. Light and pretty, the scent suited her.

"Shall we?" he asked, tucking her hand into his elbow.

Annora nodded, letting him escort her out the door to the waiting town car, his heart fluttering in excitement with every step.

* * *

AN: Aw! I love a good romantic evening out. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	14. Dueling with Love

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Phantom of the Opera**_ or _**X-Men**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Less romance in this chapter, but I hope that people still enjoy it. Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think. Thanks!

**Chapter 14: Dueling with Love:**

Sighing, Erik savored the quiet of the classroom and stared out the window, content for once in his life. His date last night with Annora had been everything he'd ever dreamed of, and more.

* * *

The ride to the restaurant had been quiet, but comfortable. Neither one had said much, and the quiet had remained until they'd been seated at the restaurant's most intimate corner table.

In Erik's case, the night became a unique experience. It was his first time in an actual restaurant, and he had to gently probe the minds of other diners to understand what he had to do. Luckily, finding something interesting on the menu proved easy, and, following Annora's lead, he was able to order without mishap.

Once the food arrived, making conversation slowly grew easier. Their dishes provided something to look at while talking, and as they ate, both he and Annora chatted about their classes, their students, and about the school in general. It was a somewhat strained conversation, but not dull, and provided him a way to ignore the glances people occasionally gave him and his masked face.

By the time they'd run out of things to talk about, the meal was over and it was time to head to the theater. Erik had thought that the ballet would provide another sort of diversion from talking, but he was wrong. Professor Xavier had reserved a box for the night, and in the privacy the box provided, Annora proved to be a very amusing conversationalist; she often poked fun at the other patrons, or of the characters in the performance. Erik found himself quietly chuckling as they watched the dancers, and added his own comments, which caused Annora to snicker or giggle in return.

But the best part of the evening was had come after they'd arrived back at the school.

It had been close to midnight when their car pulled up the driveway, and all was quiet in the large mansion. The students were all in bed (the school's curfew was ten o'clock), and apparently so were the teachers. No one was there to tease Erik as he gently helped Annora out of the car and quietly shut the front door behind them, his hand still grasping hers as they headed upstairs.

Nor was anyone there to see him escort Annora to her room, or watch him kiss his love goodnight, her soft lips pressed warmly against his…

* * *

"Mr. Garnier?" a young voice called out, hauling Erik back to reality. "I can't find the right shade of blue that I want to use. Can you help me?"

Heaving another sigh, he rose from his chair and went to assist his students, knowing the day could not end fast enough.

* * *

"You want to do _what_?" Annora cried in disbelief.

"I want to teach Erik self-defense," Logan replied calmly.

She stared at him and blurted out one question: "_Why_?"

He looked right back at her. "Because he's been doing pretty well in his training, but the Danger Room can only take him so far. If Erik is going to become an X-Man, he needs to know how to fight with _and without_ his powers."

Logan held up a hand to halt her protests. "Even if he doesn't want to stay, he should learn how to protect himself. The Professor likes the idea, so that's that."

It certainly was. If her father decided something was good for someone, his advice was usually listened to. Erik would start getting lessons from Logan, and Annora would start worrying if her uncle would leave permanent wounds on the poor man.

"I'm not going to hurt him," Logan growled. "Much…"

Annora rolled her eyes. "You'd better not," she told him, waving a finger in his face. "I like him too much, so don't you dare rip him into shreds, got it?"

Much to her surprise, he chuckled and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't worry, darlin'," he assured her. "I'll treat him as badly as I do the kids."

"Oh, that makes me feel _so_ much better," she sarcastically replied, giving him a gentle slap on the shoulder as she pulled out of the hug.

Actually, it did make her feel better about the whole thing. Logan was a hard-ass when it came to teaching, but his classes helped save lives. The tough attitude he showed his students gave them the ability to face the world and its prejudices, and they always appreciated it later.

"Fine, but don't you go hurting him on purpose," Annora ordered. "I've seen how you are when Erik's around, so don't bother denying it."

Wolverine scowled. "I just don't like the way he is around you." He sighed at the blank look she gave him. "I mean all the staring, the drooling, and the flirting. You know, all that teenager stuff the kids are doing with each other."

Oh, that. Smiling, she stood on her toes and pressed an affectionate kiss to his cheek. "You're sweet to worry, Wolvie, but I don't really need you being all overprotective. If things messy, I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

He snorted. "If things get 'messy' between you and Mr. Garnier, you can bet I'll _handle_ it better than you will."

She saw his fingers twitch, a sure sign that Logan wanted to unsheathe his claws, like he always did whenever he was angry. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Annora smiled at him.

"None of that," she chided him. "I'll deal with it on my own, but if I can't, you're free to go kick some butt, okay?"

The corner of his mouth twitched just the tiniest bit. "Alright, but if he hurts you that badly, he's toast –literally."

"Agreed," Annora said. "Now, I need to go do an inventory of my dance gear for the fall semester. Care to join me?"

Logan turned and fled without a word, leaving her behind, laughing in the hallway.

* * *

"Not bad for someone without any real training," Logan said, clapping Erik on the shoulder. "Aw, don't do that, you aren't hurt that bad!"

'_So says the man who instantaneously heals from any injury_,' Erik grumpily thought to himself. '_I wish someone had told me that Logan wanted to teach me self-defense; that way, I'd have gotten out of here while I could_!'

Not that he didn't _want_ to learn self-defense; in his youth, Erik had always longed to be able to protect himself and his home from invaders, and now he was being taught. However, this was Wolverine he was talking about, and though some of the teachers claimed that Logan was "going easy" on him, Erik didn't believe that for a minute.

'_I hurt too much for that to be true_,' he thought with a groan.

Limping to his room, Erik took a hot shower, swallowed a couple aspirin, and laid down on his bed, just making himself comfortable when a familiar knock sounded on his door.

"Erik? It's Annora. Can I come in?"

He called for her to enter, though he stayed on the bed. Moving was too difficult.

"Well, at least you aren't still lying face down on the training room floor," she cheerfully quipped, approaching the bed. "Logan must have gone easy on you, then.. Oh, and I brought you some dinner, since it looks like you won't be joining us."

It was a familiar scene, but a welcome one. Erik found himself assisted into a comfortable seating position so that she could put a tray across his lap. Again, it was only a meal for one, but Annora sat beside him, chatting, until he was finished. Having never been taken care of like this before, Erik found that he liked it, especially with Annora as company.

"I don't understand why I have to take self-defense if I have control over my mutant abilities," he said, forking a piece of roast beef into his mouth.

Annora smiled. "And what happens if powers aren't enough?" she asked. "I've been on missions where a swift kick or punch is much more effective than using mutant powers. Trust me; you'll learn to appreciate it later."

"I doubt my body will," Erik complained as he polished off the rest of his food.

She laughed and retrieved the empty tray. "Trust me; it's all worth it in the end, even if Logan's evil when it comes to teaching. Now, get some rest. You need it."

He had to admit, she was right. Closing his eyes, Erik was half asleep in seconds, and barely felt the soft press of lips against his forehead before drifting into deep slumber.

* * *

Shaking her head, Annora took Erik's dirty plates down to the kitchen and put them in the washing machine. From the look of him, the poor man never knew what him.

'_Of course, when its Wolverine he's getting trained by, it's no wonder Erik looks flattened_!'

And as much as she wanted to protect Erik from the legendary temperament of Logan, she couldn't. Erik had to learn to defend himself, and Logan had to…well, Logan would have to get over his over-protectiveness. It was hard for him, though; Annora knew he considered her family, almost a daughter, and he didn't want to see her get hurt.

'_It doesn't help that he thinks Father is too easygoing when it comes to parenting styles_.'

Professor Xavier and the other X-Men tended to let Annora stretch her wings and fly (literally) on her own; Logan would have preferred to hover over her, scowling if anyone got close enough to touch her. It was sweet, but frustrating.

'_Hopefully Erik can handle it_,' she silently prayed to herself.

And God, did she like that man! Their dinner the other night had been wonderful, though she'd been a bit apprehensive about attending the theater. Memories of being watched in the Paris Opera House still sent shivers down her back, but Erik's warm presence had kept most of that at bay, allowing her to have fun. She hoped they would be able to do that again soon.

::_Annora_?::

She froze, tilting her head to the side. ::_Yes, Father_?::

::_Logan would like you to spar with Erik next week during his training session. He calls it, 'showing him how it's done,' and believes you would benefit from it as well_::

The amusement was clear in her father's message, and she couldn't help smiling, too. This was going to be fun.

* * *

'_No, I can't do it_,' Erik frantically thought, staring at his assigned partner.

How could the Professor do this to him? There was no way he could do what they expected of him. What if he hurt her? He could not bear it if he put even a small bruise on Annora's precious body.

::_Actually, I'm more worried about what she'll do to __**you**__, rather than what you'll do to __**her**_,:: Xavier remarked inside his head. ::_After all, she's got the advantage over you_.::

Okay, that was true. Annora did, in fact, have more experience in fighting, but still, Erik couldn't help but worry. Even now, part of him wondered how much harm he had caused others when terrifying the Opera House. How many people had hurt themselves when trying to flee from his 'pranks?'

"Alright, time to get started," Logan called out.

Erik and Annora both took their places on the exercise mat, their bodies automatically shifting into defensive stances. Erik may have been new at this, but he was a fast learner. His genius mind, combined with his newly honed physique, had left him able to absorb Wolverine's teachings quickly. Since he'd had no past training in fighting, he was virtually a blank slate, and had nothing to unlearn. Logan was very happy about that.

Unfortunately, that meant Erik now had to face more experienced fighters, such as Annora. It was to help him learn to defend himself 'in real life,' and so far, he'd managed to hold up against most of them, Beast in particular. The blue-furred mutant was incredibly strong and agile, and the only X-Man (or woman) so far that Erik couldn't seem to get into a stalemate, besides Logan.

Annora grinned. "Let's dance," she said, pivoting swiftly on the ball of one foot.

Surprised, Erik barely raised a hand to block her kick, knocking her leg aside in order to retaliate with one of her own.

She recovered quickly, ducking his attack and shifting her weight to come up under him, planting the heel of her palm against his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Lord, she was fast!

Annora wasted no time in taking advantage of his distraction. While he was still winded, she lashed out with both hands and foot, bringing him entirely down on his back. There was a dull thud, and Erik felt the air he'd just inhaled fly back out again.

The next thing he knew, teasing brown eyes looked down at him as firm hands pinned down his arms. "I think that means I win," she said, her voice light and teasing.

'_And I think I'm in love_,' he thought, smiling back up at her. Out loud, he said, "Best two out of three?"

* * *

Rolling his eyes, Logan thought he was going to puke. It was bad enough with Scott and Jean mooning over each other, or Rogue and Gambit playing hard-to-get with one another, but watching Erik and Annora together was just as nauseating.

'_Plus, I still don't trust the guy_,' he growled inside his head. '_The Professor might, but I don't_.'

If there was one thing he trusted, it was his instincts. Logan had smelled and sensed trouble the minute Erik Garnier had walked through the front door, and he _really_ didn't like the fact that the masked mutant was gunning for Annora's attentions. Even worse, the Professor was encouraging it instead of putting a stop to it.

'_The Professor isn't often wrong, but when he is, it tends to blow up in __**all**__ our faces, not just his. This is also his daughter we're talking about, so he'd better know what he's doing when it comes to her_.'

And truth be told, Logan did _not_ want to be there if/when things turned bad. Easing Annora's shattered heart would be someone else's job, namely Jean or Storm's; Logan would be the one leaving bits and pieces of Erik's anatomy on the floor when that happened.

Dismissing the couple for the day, he wondered if the Professor knew what he was doing. In the meantime, Logan decided it'd be best to keep an eye on Annora's new interest…just in case.

* * *

AN: More romance and stuff coming up, I promise. Please review! Thanks!


	15. Love and a Battlefield

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Hello! In this chapter, I'm using the mutant rating system I saw in the first 3 X-Men films. You know, Class 1 through 5, with 5 being the highest. I think Jean/Phoenix was Class 5 in the third film. Anyway, yeah, that's what's what. And surprisingly, this story will be ending soon. I know, it snuck up on me, too, but there it is. A few more chapters, give or take, and it will be over. In the meantime, please be kind, and don't forget to review! Thanks!

**Chapter 15: Love and a Battlefield:**

Sipping his cold drink, Erik closed his eyes and marveled at his new life. He'd been here at the Xavier School for nearly five months now, and considering where he'd once been, things couldn't be more different for him.

No more cold, dark caves dripping moisture, or mold growing on top of his possessions. No more lonely days practicing music or creating art no one else would see. Best of all, no more staring out of the walls, longing to be part of something better than his miserable existence.

Instead, Erik was doing something he never thought possible: sitting near a swimming pool, lemonade in hand, while watching the children splash and play. He'd purposely chosen a spot out of "splash range," since he didn't know how to swim as of yet. Annora, of course, had offered to teach him, and he agreed. The idea of seeing her in a swimsuit was too much to resist.

And speaking Annora…

Erik watched as she took a chair on the other side of the patio table. She wasn't wearing a swimsuit, but the capri pants she was wearing showed off her legs nicely.

"I've _really_ got to give you those swim lessons soon," she said before sipping her own drink. "You don't know what you're missing out there."

He wrinkled his nose. "I've never been comfortable with being in water. There was a large lake near my home, but it was dark and possibly full of creatures I'd rather avoid. Swimming was not on my list of things to learn."

Annora chuckled. "Well, when you put it that way, I have to agree with you. However, here we are with a nice, safe pool, and plenty of heated water, so you can't avoid it forever. Besides, you might like swimming."

Well, she had him there. Besides, Erik had always wanted to learn to swim; the idea of gliding through water was alluring, and suddenly he couldn't wait to try it.

"Do all the X-Men know how to swim?" he asked.

She nodded. "It's part of the learning curriculum, just in case we're in a situation that involves water. All of the teachers and students know how." Annora paused. "Well, I don't know about Logan; all of that metal coating his bones makes him pretty heavy, so water is probably something he should avoid."

Both of them chuckled, then went back to their drinks. Erik let his eyes wander over towards Annora's relaxed form, her feet stretched out before her as she sipped her lemonade. He couldn't believe he was actually dating this marvelous woman.

'_Dating_,' he thought, savoring the nectar in his glass, a simple mixture of ice, lemons and sugar all blended together. '_I never thought I'd be involved with a woman in __**any**__ way, much less dating one_!'

Considering the number of times they'd been out together, what he had with Annora definitely could be called 'dating.' In the past several weeks, they'd been to a few music festivals; a dance held at the school for the students, and a concert or two. Plus, they'd been out to eat every single weekend, sometimes at a cozy café or a fancy restaurant.

And Erik had cherished every minute of it.

Annora was not only kind and patient with her students, she was also this way with almost everyone she encountered. He rarely saw her lose her temper, not even after a waiter had dumped ice-cold water into her lap (on accident). She'd merely uttered a few curses, helped the waiter wipe up the water, and accepted the numerous apologies the poor boy had stuttered to her. Annora had even left a nice tip, something Erik would not have done in her place.

"It wasn't his fault," she'd assured him as they left the café. "The carpet was uneven by that table, and he tripped. They really should fix that; I'm sure I'm not the only one to have gotten a good soaking in that place because of faulty carpeting!"

He'd laughed, but knew her words were true; the carpet in their part of the café had been lumpy. He hoped they got that fixed soon.

Out of the corner of his eye, Erik caught Annora looking at him. He hid a smirk, knowing that she liked the open-necked shirt he was wearing. It was warm today, and he thought that the thin material of the shirt would help keep him cool when outside. The open neck was something he wasn't sure about, but now he was glad he'd chosen it. It thrilled him knowing she found him attractive in it.

Slowly, gently, he used his powers to read what was happening on the surface of her thoughts. Erik knew he shouldn't be doing this, but when Annora was 'thinking loudly,' he couldn't resist. It was rare when that happened, but when it did, he took advantage of it. And right now, she was thinking of what his shirt was revealing.

Using his glass to cover his smile, Erik knew that she was beginning to fall for him. It was in her eyes and the way she acted whenever he held her hand, pressed a kiss to her soft lips, or put his arm protectively around her when they were out at night. He showed her every courtesy a woman should be shown, using the gentlemanly acts he'd witnessed from men at the opera and in Scott's treatment of Jean Grey.

Scott was the sort of man Erik wanted to be: kind, strong, courteous, and good with the students. So far, Erik had some of those traits down, such as the good opinions of students and teachers alike.

'_I think my courtesy and strength need a bit more work_,' he thought, '_but Annora seems to like me just the way I am_.' Still, he'd try harder at those qualities.

Suddenly, Erik felt a presence inside his head.

::_X-Men, I need you assembled in the War Room immediately_,:: Xavier boomed telepathically, freezing the adults in their tracks.

As one, the X-Men all turned, heading inside in an automatic response to the summons. Scott and Jean, who had been at the pool, started shouting orders for the students to head inside to their dorms. Annora, meanwhile, grabbed Erik's arm.

"Come on," she said solemnly. "You heard the message right?" He nodded. "Then you're in on this, too."

He was confused. "In on what?"

What she said next shocked him. "Today, you're going on your first mission."

* * *

Frozen in his seat, Erik flexed his hands, the leather gloves squeaking an echo of his nervousness. The roar of the Blackbird's engines filled his ears as the force of speed pressed him into his seat. The others looked calm and ready; he felt like he was going to be sick.

The meeting in the War Room had been brief. Xavier had given a quick synopsis of what was happening and what they, the X-Men, had to do.

"Apparently there is an anti-mutant group establishment in a suburb outside New York City," the Professor said, bringing the image up on the hologram table. "Magneto has been unusually quiet lately, but now he's out and ready to attack. He's sent a few of his more powerful followers to attack this establishment and destroy it."

He shut down the hologram and looked at each of them. "You will have to stop them and prevent innocent people from getting hurt." Then he looked at Erik. "You will go as well. Your training is complete, and both Scott and Logan agree that your fighting skills are impressive. You might be of use to them."

And so here he was, on his first mission and scared to death. He had not been this frightened since he was a child, when his parents had found many excuses to beat him because of his face. Since then, Erik had been the one to instill fear, liking the power that came with it.

'_Things are different now_,' he firmly told himself. '_I'm starting to have friends, a family, even a…what did Americans call it_? _Oh, yes, a girlfriend_.'

But his worst fear was what would happen if Annora found out about him and his powers, and hated him? If that ever happened, he would die, he knew he would. Everything he'd ever wanted would vanish, and he couldn't bear that now that he knew what he'd been missing for so long.

The jet gave a sudden jerk, sending Erik back into his seat once more. He saw Wolverine giving him a smirk, and knew that he was enjoying Erik's discomfort. Erik ignored him, instead focusing on the open space where they were landing. A few moments later, they were down and the others were heading towards the ramp. It was time to get to work.

* * *

Stepping out of the Blackbird, Annora knew this was going to be messy. From where she stood, she could see the clouds of dust and smoke rising from what would become their battlefield. Since they were half a mile away from the site, that was certainly saying something.

"Halo, I want you in the air," Scott ordered, pointing to her. "Keep us posted on what you see. We'll form a strategy off of that."

Nodding, Annora took to the air, eyes scanning for trouble. Once over the destruction, she assessed it. There was Sabertooth, one of her uncle Magneto's most loyal followers, destroying everything in his path. Damaged cars, lampposts, fire hydrants, shattered windows, and a dozen other things lay broken around the street.

She scowled. '_Of all Uncle's followers, Sabertooth is the one I hate most_.' The hungry, animalistic look he gave her whenever they fought gave her the creeps.

Gliding a little further, Annora saw Toad hopping around, as well as Pyro, the fire-wielding mutant. She reported what she saw to the other X-Men, but kept an areal view of the town. Who knew what else was hiding around here?

Soon, the X-Men began their attack. Storm and Jean headed for Pyro while Scott and Erik went for Toad. It would figure that Rogue and Logan would be taking on Sabertooth; Rogue's strength matched the cat-like mutant's, and Logan had some sort of personal vendetta against Sabertooth, so it made sense.

Annora, meanwhile, put up her force field and maintained her altitude, keeping an eye on everything, just in case there was a surprise attack. Her shields would keep her safe, for the most part, and she didn't mind keeping look-out. Besides, she was their 'back up' in case something went terribly wrong.

Minutes passed, and things were looking good. Toad had been knocked out, Pyro was frozen in a block of ice, and Sabertooth looked like he was beginning to feel a bit dizzy from Rogue's constant – and effective – punches. They were winning.

Of course, that didn't mean much, not where Magneto was concerned. He always had another plan up his sleeve, so Annora put herself on her guard, eyes and mind scanning for trouble that always came when it wasn't wanted.

Sure enough, a second later, it came in the form of Magneto himself. Pushing against the Earth's magnetic gravitational pull, he floated into the heart of destruction, using his powers to move all metal objects out his way. Setting down on the street, he waved his hand, sending Wolverine into a solid brick wall without effort. Annora winced, knowing it was Logan's metal bones that caused him trouble in these confrontations. Magneto never showed mercy when it came to fighting Logan.

'_Not that he ever fights fair_,' she scowled to herself. '_Better get myself down there, in case he decides to start throwing cars at everyone_.'

With a burst of speed, Annora shot towards her uncle, putting herself between him and the rest of the X-Men. She could see he had his helmet on, thereby blocking any telepathic moves on her part. They would have to speak out loud to communicate.

"You always knew how to make an entrance, dearest girl," Magneto told her, a smile on his lips.

She smirked back. "I learned from the best," she replied, hovering a foot above the ground.

He chuckled. "Well, I'm glad for that. Now, did your father send you here to meddle in my plans? That really is very bad of him, acting against his own kind."

Annora sighed. "Uncle, you know that violence isn't always the answer. Now, please, take your beaten up followers and go. You've lost, and I really don't want anyone hurt here."

Now it was her foster uncle's turn to sigh. "I wish you'd consider switching sides, Annora," Magneto said. "You'd be far more useful following my cause than Charles's."

"But I believe in Father's cause more than yours," Annora firmly told him, crossing her arms. "Plus, I don't like violence. It doesn't solve anything, and simply hurts people."

She saw his eyes widen slightly, her senses singing out that something was wrong. Whipping around, she saw a wrecked car hurling towards her, a gift courtesy of Sabertooth.

Focusing her telekinetic powers, Annora raised her hands, barely able to 'catch' the car in midair before it hit her. Angry, she focused her telekinetic powers, using them to send the car flying back to where it came from. Sabertooth looked at her in surprise, black eyes staring as the vehicle went soaring back towards him. With a roar, he ducked out of the way.

Out of nowhere, flames came roaring at her, colliding with her shields. Pyro had managed to escape Storm's ice prison, and was seriously upset about getting beaten up by a pair of girls. From the sidelines, Annora could hear the X-Men shouting protests and knew they would be retaliating in seconds.

Keeping her shields up, Annora whirled to look at her 'uncle.' "I think you should leave now, Uncle, before we _really_ lose our tempers. Trust me, you haven't seen anything if you haven't seen an X-Man in a bad mood."

"Believe me, after seeing the tantrums you threw as a child, I have seen more than my share of angry X-Men," Magneto said with an affectionate smile. "Very well, you win this round, but only because I'm so fond of you, Annora. Next time, you might not be so lucky."

Snorting, she watched as the three other mutants fled along with their leader, making obscene gestures and numerous threats before vanishing around a crumbling street corner.

* * *

Having dealt with the foul slime-spewing mutant, Erik was able to stare at the most incredible thing he had ever seen. Annora, _his_ Annora, had used her powers to catch a car in midair, then sent it flying back to where it'd come from, all while hovering in midair and maintaining her shimmering, golden shields.

"Impressive, isn't she?" Logan muttered, coming up beside them. "You'd never guess by looking at her that our Halo is a Class 4 mutant."

Erik looked over at him. "Class 4?"

Logan shrugged. "It's the way 'normal' humans classify mutants, usually based on how strong they are and what abilities they may have. Halo is Class 4, the same as Magneto, which is why he respects her enough to withdraw."

"He also knows a stalemate when he sees one," Scott muttered. "If it were just us without Annora, we'd be fighting for our lives right now. Annora's the only mutant, besides Professor Xavier, who can get him to back off."

Swallowing, Erik felt his stomach clench. He'd known that Annora was powerful, but hadn't seen her at her full potential; to see her in action was something else entirely. Then he realized something.

'_I've never seen her train in the Danger Room, and when we fight in self-defense, we don't use our powers_.'

Yet there she was, floating in a golden bubble, catching cars with her mind and tossing them aside like they were toys. She'd also been engulfed by a huge fireball and come out unharmed!

It was then that Erik realized what he must do. He had to tell Annora the truth about himself.

'_If she ever found out another way, she'd kill me_.' Of that, he was very sure.

Today, he'd been lucky that she hadn't seen him using his shadow-skills against that froglike mutant. Erik had been forced to use shadows to teleport away the disgusting slime-spit thrown at him. Scott had been too busy dodging the slime to notice what Erik had done, but if he had, Erik knew he'd have a lot of explaining to do.

'_Better to do it on my terms_,' he decided as they walked back towards the Blackbird.

As they soared back home to the Mansion, Erik glanced over at Annora and felt his gut turn to lead. Telling her the truth would be the hardest thing he'd ever done, and though it was needful, he dreaded it. His new dream life was about to become a nightmare.

* * *

AN: Oh, Erik's going to come clean! There's bound to be some fun after that happens.

Please be kind and review! Thanks!


	16. The Truth Can Hurt

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: I should mention that I won't be updating next week, like I usually do. I'll be on vacation, so I won't have access to a computer, but I'll update as soon as I get back. In the meantime, this is the chapter where Annora finds out about Erik. Drama and emotions run high, and of course, the unexpected happens. Hope you have fun reading, and please review! Thanks!

**Chapter 16: The Truth Can Hurt:**

Sweat was dripping down Erik's neck, he could feel it. Well, maybe not feel it, but he was so terrified, he probably was sweating bullets.

Not twenty minutes ago, Erik had invited Annora to his quarters, sat her down into a chair, and told her everything about himself. He told of his past, his life in the Opera House, and his travels here to America and the school. He had also explained his actions towards her in Paris, as well as his feelings for her, all the while praying that she would understand and accept him in spite of his tale.

Five minutes ago, he'd finished talking. She hadn't said a word or made a sound of any kind since he'd stopped, and Erik was growing anxious. Annora's face was a strange thing to watch, one emotions shifting into another in the blink of an eye, and there were several that he recognized: anger, confusion, pity, and sadness, to name a few.

Then, all of a sudden, her face went blank, and Erik wished for those expressions to return. Behind those dark brown eyes of hers were a storm of thoughts, and though he longed to know what they were, he didn't dare probe her mind to find out.

Reaching over, Erik laid a hand on hers. "Annora?" he whispered, wondering if she would respond and whether or not he wanted her to.

* * *

It was just too much to handle. The man she'd been falling for had been her kidnapper and jailer in Paris! How could that be?

'_But_ _Erik is nothing like the Phantom_!'

True, she had never seen him use any Phantom-like powers here at the school, but on the other hand, he _was_ telepathic, and he _could_ manipulate shadows, just like the Phantom. How many other mutants in the world could do that?

However, her mind just couldn't seem to grasp the idea for some reason, and neither could her heart.

'_It would figure that this would happen_,' part of her mind said. Annora had fallen for the sweetest, most handsome and charming man she'd ever met, and he'd been the Phantom. Her boyfriend (as she'd begun thinking of him) had been the mutant terrorizing innocent people in the Paris Opera House, and extorting money from its owners.

'_Why did this have to happen to me, of all people_?' her heart cried out in despair.

Logan was going to have a field day with this. He'd suspected that something was 'off' about Erik, and she hadn't listened. Why hadn't she listened to him? Logan was rarely wrong about a person; he always knew when a person's 'scent' was giving off bad vibes, and he usually proved right.

An idea struck her mind like lightning. Had Logan known exactly who Erik was?

'_No, that's impossible_.' Logan usually judged someone based on what his instincts told him, and his gut and nose had decided that Erik wasn't what he appeared to be. The question now was this: Had Logan taken his concerns to her father?

Her insides jerked. That was it! Her father would know what to do about this! He always was good at helping her with problems.

Getting up out of her chair, Annora raced for the door.

Everything that happened next was a blur. One minute, she was in Erik's room, the next she was in her father's office, babbling about what she'd just discovered and not sitting down until firm hands directed her to a chair.

It took her a few minutes to realize that Scott had been the one to sit her down, and that the other X-Men had somehow made their way into the room. Each of them, with the exception of Logan, had a puzzled look on their face.

During this whole thing, her father sat behind his desk, his face thoughtful as he looked at all of them. Finally, he reclined back in his chair. "Let me explain what this is all about."

And he did, starting from the minute Erik had come to the school and finishing with that moment in his office.

As the X-Men listened to their leader's explanation, Annora sat there, her insides in turmoil all over again. It would figure that, just as she had started coming to terms with everything she had learned, her father would reveal that he had known about the whole thing from the very beginning.

"You _knew_?" she demanded to know after Xavier had finished, her voice strangled. "You _knew_ who and what Erik was, and you said nothing to me about it?"

Her father looked her in the eye, locking their gazes together. "No matter what poor thoughts you might have about him, Erik is a good man. He has suffered through a life far more difficult than most people, including mutants, would ever experience. I sought to give him a second chance at life here at the school, and he has flourished beyond anything I thought possible."

Xavier looked at all of them. "You all remember what it was like, being shunned because of what you were. Erik is the same in that regard, except for one major difference: his face. It is a deformity completely unrelated to his mutant abilities, but it has still caused great emotional and psychological pain. His parents had despised him from birth. They ended up drugging him and leaving him on the streets of Paris to fend for himself or die. If a young girl hadn't found him and brought him to live under the Opera House, he would have frozen to death or starved. Keep in mind that this was when he was ten-years-old, _before_ his mutant powers began go show themselves.

"Because of his parents' hatred and disgust for him, Erik chose to isolate himself from the world. He became a willing hermit and prisoner of his own will, staying within the caves and walls of the Paris Opera with only one person in the world knowing who and what he was."

The Professor leaned forward over the desk. "Now, please tell me how _you_ would have turned out after such a childhood. I doubt you would have turned out much better, growing up completely hidden from the world and without people to love and support you."

Nearly all of the X-Men had a mixture of horror, sadness, shame, and pity on their faces. The only exceptions were Annora and Logan, who rarely showed any emotion except irritation.

And speaking of Logan…

"Did you know?" she quietly asked, looking over at her foster uncle. "I know you've never liked Erik, but you always seemed to sense that something wasn't right about him."

Logan gave a brief shrug and nod. "Yeah, I knew something didn't smell right about him, but it was the Professor who gave me the details. That was right after he got here."

His words shouldn't have surprised her, but they did. "Who else knew?" Annora whispered aloud.

"No one," Logan assured her. "Your dad asked me not to say anything, and he's the only other person, besides Erik himself, who knew everything."

Droplets of moisture fell down her face, and a pair of soft, gentle arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders, pulling her close. A flash of white hair, and Annora knew whose shoulder her head was now resting on.

"I know you are upset, sweetheart, but your father is right," Storm whispered into her ear. "If you'd known that Erik and the Phantom were one and the same, you would never have accepted him or his attentions. He deserved to approach you as a man, and a mutant, not the monster you thought he was."

"But he _kidnapped_ me!" Annora half-wailed into her shoulder, "and he kept me prisoner inside my own head! How can I forgive that?"

"You can because it was an accident," Xavier firmly said. "His original intention had been to approach you openly in your hotel room, but when I entered unexpectedly, he panicked. In an instinctive fight-or-flight move, he grabbed you and fled. He kept you inside your own mind so that you would have time to talk to one another in a calm and rational manner. Erik never intended to harm you in any way."

Storm's gentle fingers combed soothingly through her hair. "Annora, Erik is a good man; you know this. He has treated you with kindness and courtesy, and he obviously cares about you very much. Who he was then no longer matters; we've all done our best to leave our past outside the school's gates and look towards the future."

By now, Annora's tears had dried and anger was making its way to the surface. "I can't just forget how he kept me imprisoned in my own mind! It was terrifying, and it's not something I'm going to let go of."

Not wanting to listen anymore, she pushed them all aside and ran out the door. She had some major thinking to do, and the Danger Room was always good for that. After she blew up a few battle droids, things might look better…maybe…

* * *

Staring at the empty chair, Erik felt as though his heart had been ripped out and crushed. She'd fled from him, an indescribable look on her face as she threw the door open and raced through it, leaving him alone and heartbroken.

'_I should not have told her_.'

But if he hadn't, she would have found out sooner or later…wouldn't she? Her father or Logan might let something slip one day in the future, and then this would all happen anyway.

'_But by then, we might be married with a child, and she might have been more forgiving_,' he snarled to himself.

No, it had been a mistake to admit everything to Annora, and now she would never want to see him again. After all his efforts, and having fallen in love with her, it was over. His heart was breaking even as he stood there, staring at that empty chair.

Faintly, Erik could hear movements downstairs, and knew that the others had gathered there as well. Not the students, of course; they were all up in their rooms or lounging about by the pool, enjoying their 'summer vacation.'

'_Only the teachers are there, probably standing around Professor Xavier's office as they listen to Annora telling them everything_,' he bitterly thought, grinding his teeth as his fists clenched.

He could just imagine them gathered together, talking about him and what he had done in Paris. No doubt Logan was savoring the fact that he was right, and that Erik should be thrown out of the school this afternoon! The Professor might be on Erik's side, but the others would believe that keeping Annora's former captor in the school would be dangerous.

'_They might ask that I leave the grounds permanently, for the students' safety_.'

That idea tore at him, almost as much as the thought of losing Annora forever. To be exiled from the only place he'd ever been glad to call 'home' was a horrifying prospect. It would be no problem if Annora were by his side; he could make a new home anywhere, as long as she was with him. But to be separated from her and thrown out of the school; that would be unbearable.

'_I have to do something, and quickly_.'

If there was one thing Erik was good at, it was acting fast. Whether accidentally (as when kidnapping Annora), or on purpose, Erik was very skilled at making the best of any kind of situation. Today would require a great deal of those abilities.

'_I can't let Annora leave me_,' was his constant, desperate thought. '_I can't live without her light, her love and her warmth_.'

No, the cold darkness of the Opera House's caverns would not be enough for him now, not after he'd experienced the delights of having friends and fallen in love. If he could not have friends, he had to have Annora.

It was time to act.

* * *

Annora wiped her forehead, her body covered in sweat from the huge workout she'd just given herself. After viciously slaughtering a bunch of droids, she did actually feel a bit better, and her mind wasn't as clouded.

'_No wonder Logan likes to come down here and destroy stuff. I should try doing the same thing once and a while_.'

While she'd been fighting, her head had begun to clear, giving her the chance to focus on her feelings about this whole mess. She knew that Storm was right about Erik: he really was a good person, he'd just been alone his entire life, and didn't know how to act with others. That inexperience had led to her accidental kidnapping in Paris, and once he'd realized his mistake, it had been too late to take it back.

'_Still, I do have every right to be upset_.' It was her right to be emotional about this whole thing.

::_No one blames you for feeling that way_,:: her father said inside her mind. ::_But you must also consider what Erik went through growing up, and what he must feel now, after confessing everything to you_.::

Annora winced. Erik must be going through hell right now, almost as much as she was going through. Although she didn't want to sympathize with him, Annora knew that she couldn't hate him. She was angry, of course, and hurt, but she did care for him, very much.

Heading into the showers, she thought it might be a good idea for her to have a talk with Erik.

* * *

The mists created by the hot showers gave him ample cover. She was alone, the others enjoying some time in the afternoon sun by the pool or in the gardens. It was perfect.

A swift telepathic search for Annora's mental 'signature' had led him down to the Danger Room, where he'd watched from the observation window as she worked out her anger. With her powers diminished, she would be unable to fight him and win; the best she could hope for was a draw, with Erik at full strength.

From the swirling clouds of hot, damp air came the sound of soft humming. The soft, cheerful melody, though out of tune, was soothing to him. She couldn't be angry anymore if she was humming, right?

'_Even if she is calm again, Annora could still want nothing to do with me_.' He could not lose her, not now!

There was the harsh sound of a faucet being aggressively turned off. Her shower was done, and soon, he would act.

Cloaked in shadow, he waited.

* * *

Humming, Annora wrapped a towel around her body, then another around her damp hair. The shower had lifted her spirits a bit, and after she'd finished dressing, she would be ready to go see Erik.

As she reached for her clothes, her eyes were covered with a curtain of darkness. Just before she lost consciousness, her last thought was, '_Oh, no, not again_!'

* * *

AN: Yup, Erik's done it again. Hopefully this time will turn out better than the last one. Don't forget to review! The story's almost over!


	17. Down Once More

Disclaimer: I sadly own nothing related to _**The Phantom of the Opera**_ or _**X-Men**_. Only original characters belong to me.

AN: Yes, I'm back from vacation and updating! A bit of warning, though: this chapter's a bit shorter than previous ones, but I'm hoping no one will mind. Also, there's not much left of the story, and after this, I might be back in the _**Pirates**_ section. I haven't decided yet. Anyway, have fun reading, and please review! Thanks!

**Chapter 17: Down Once More:**

Erik muttered curses under his breath as he began pacing, furious with himself and his actions. How could he have done something so stupid? Not only had he kidnapped Annora once, but now he'd let his emotions get the better of him, and taken her _again_! Well, at least he'd had the wits to dress her; the sight of Annora in a towel was just too distracting. A white nightgown he'd swiped from the Opera House's storerooms did the trick.

Of course, Erik still felt like slapping himself. '_**Why**__ did I have to go and behave like an idiot_?'

The answer was obvious.

'_I love her_.'

Those three words echoed and repeated inside his head constantly, reminding him of why he'd acted this way, and what was at stake. A lonely life in darkness awaited him if he lost Annora's affections, and that was not something he wanted to return to. Now that he'd been kissed by her soft mouth and held her hand out in the sunshine of broad daylight, Erik knew that life without her wouldn't be life at all. He couldn't let her slip through his fingers, not this time.

Erik sensed her coming towards wakefulness, and his body tensed. If she fought, he would be ready. This time, failure was not an option.

* * *

Really, she had every right to be angry. First, she'd just discovered that Erik had been the one to kidnap her in Paris. Second, he'd lied and hidden important information from her, which she _really_ didn't like. Third, he'd just kidnapped her _again_!

'_And right out of the shower, too_!' cried the modest part of her brain.

Yes, Annora had every right to be upset about this whole thing. The man she cared for was an extortionist, a kidnapper, and a liar, all of which she disapproved of.

And yet, for some reason, she wasn't upset or angry. Part of her knew that Erik's past had left him emotionally and morally different from others; the way he had acted was proof of that. Thus far, he'd acted primarily out of instinct and desperation, the combination of which could cause serious problems for him.

Annora sighed, physically and inwardly. Full wakefulness was approaching swiftly, and with it, an inevitable confrontation with Erik. He might or might not be reasonable, so she'd have to be prepared. At best, she'd be able to talk her way out of this whole thing, no harm done. Worst case…

Well, hopefully neither one of them would be seriously hurt if it came to that.

* * *

Those wonderful brown eyes fluttered as his beloved Annora fought towards wakefulness, and Erik quickly tightened the bonds he had on her.

But these were not ordinary chains or cuffs, not like the last time. No, tonight Erik had used his shielding abilities and bent them to his will, forming chains of solid darkness to keep her arms at her sides and her feet tethered to the bed. As hard as she might fight him, Annora would not be going anywhere.

'_Even if she tried to use her own shielding powers to break free, she cannot_,' he thought, smug.

Her golden light might fight against his dark chains, but light could also create shadows, which he was a master of. Here in his underground realm, where darkness and shadow were everywhere, he was strong, and with a great deal of new training from Xavier's school, he had grown more masterful in handling them. Erik Garnier was an even greater force to be reckoned with.

Closed eyes slowly opened, and Erik braced himself for the worst. Yelling, curses, screaming fits, a telepathic attack, or her telekinetic powers throwing objects at him; he prepared himself for whatever it was she might – literally –throw at him.

Deep brown orbs stared up at him, meeting his own gaze. Her lips parted, and, readying his eardrums, Erik waited for the inevitable.

"Hello, Erik," she said, softly and kindly.

He was so shocked, he nearly jumped. She hadn't yelled at him? Why not? '_It's a trick. She's trying to make me lower my guard so that she can escape_!'

Then, he sensed a soft 'touch' inside his mind. It was Annora, it had to be. Slowly, Erik weakened a small part of his telepathic protections, allowing her to speak to him mind-to-mind.

::_I'm not going to run away, Erik. Please, let me go so we can talk_?::

He felt his jaw drop. Annora wanted to _talk_? No, it had to be a trick.

::_It's no trick, Erik. You and I truly need to talk about this, before the X-Men show up and blast their way down here to get me. Please, Erik_.::

Though he hated to admit it, she was right. So, closing his eyes, he linked his mind with hers, sinking into a warmth that seemed to burn from her very soul.

* * *

It was strange, having Erik gently slip into her mind, his mental 'self' appearing on the plain her brain had created for them to communicate on. The plain was pretty, actually, taking on the appearance of an open, flat grassy field covered by a lavender sky. She met him there, and almost laughed at the disbelieving look on his face.

"It's rather…feminine," he said, glancing around.

Annora shrugged a little. "Despite what you might think about me, I do have a 'girly' side," she said, moving within arm's length of him.

Erik avoided her gaze. "It's very pretty."

She knew he wanted to finish it with a compliment towards her, but didn't dare for fear of angering her. It was easy to see that Erik's emotions were a complete mess, but so were her own. She was angry, scared, and more than a little worried, plus a whole slew of other feelings that had her stomach twisted in knots. This wasn't exactly a walk in the park for her, either, but at least she'd try to be civil to him –well, until he really pissed her off, at least.

"Thank you," she replied. "Now-"

Before she could get any further, she was interrupted by a sudden telepathic shockwave. It overwhelmed her mind, pulling her into the tangled mess that made up Erik's memories and feelings.

* * *

No longer in her pleasant field with purple skies, Annora's surroundings became someplace far colder and more sinister. She looked around, and realized that Erik's shields must have buckled under the flood of emotional turmoil building inside him. Now she was literally stuck in the middle of his memories and the feelings behind them.

They came floating around her, images and scenes from many parts of his life, none of them in any particular order and all from Erik's point of view.

First, she saw were terrifying visions of a man and a woman standing over her small form, sneering down at her. As she stared upwards, the man raised a violent hand, bringing it down hard towards her face. It never made contact; the vision stopped at that moment, much to her relief. From the familiar looks of the man and the green eyes of the woman, Annora knew these had to be Erik's parents.

'_They beat him_?' she thought, feeling sick. '_Why_? _Because he looked different_? _He was only a child_! _How could they do that to him_?'

Flashes of living beneath the Opera House came next, as well as images of a kindly woman cooking and tidying up the caverns. Then there were scenes of him spying on the opera performers, closely followed by feelings of jealousy whenever a pretty girl kissed a handsome young man. Annora could feel her stomach churning whenever his feelings threatened to overwhelm her.

Her visions changed all of a sudden, and the negativity she was experiencing vanished. Instead, she felt puzzlement, confusions, and a desperate need to know something. All around her flashed the night she had first appeared in the Paris Opera House, but from a completely different point of view. She was seeing Erik's version of that evening, and it brought everything into perspective for her.

Inside her gut, Annora felt his desire to know more about the "mysterious young woman" who had entered his Opera House. He knew her to be special, and had felt the very slight beginnings of a connection forming between them.

'_He's loved me since that night_,' she realized, surprised and awed at the same time. '_It wasn't love then, not as we know it, but the feeling had started to form that evening_.'

Annora felt all of the sadness, anger, envy, and other negative feelings both inside and around her give way. Warmth, hope, and love slowly took their place, the memories changing to things that were positive and quite recent. Their visit to arts-and-crafts faire, the night at the ballet, and most of all, the times she and Erik had shared a kiss.

'_Oh, my_,' she thought, inhaling sharply.

A sudden wave of passion and need overwhelmed her senses. Was this what Erik felt for her? God, it was almost enough to bring her to her knees! Did he really love her this much, and if so, was this why he couldn't bear the idea of her rejecting, and possibly even _leaving_, him? Even now, there was a small, hidden plea of '_don't leave me_' floating all around her. If she could weep within this mental plain, she would. Her physical body was likely already doing so.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it stopped. The visions, the feelings, everything pulled away like a dark curtain, and she was once again on the lovely green plain, complete with purple sky overhead, and Erik standing before her. Haunted green eyes stared at her in a silent plea for forgiveness.

Annora felt her heart start to break for the poor man who had suffered so much in his life when he hadn't deserved it. Her father was right; like all people, Erik had every right to be happy, and to be treated with kindness and love.

And he had been, at her father's school, where there were others like him. Surrounded by new friends and students who had accepted him without question, Erik had found a place in the world to fit into. Brimming with sympathy, she mentally reached out to him, a sign that it was alright for him to 'speak' to her telepathically.

::_You are the greatest thing I have ever found_,:: he told her telepathically, eyes dropping in shame. ::_You were my reason for traveling across the world. For so long, I had wanted to be accepted and loved as both a man and a mutant, but I hadn't the courage or the desire to step outside the wall of the Opera House. And then you came along_.::

Erik lifted his gaze to look at her. ::_When I first took you, I knew you were my equal in power, a person so strong in who she was and what she could do. I knew I had to have you. How often does anyone find their perfect match in everything_? _You were a light for my darkness, a warmth to my cold heart. I needed you_. _It was because of you that I became a changed man, something I didn't believe possible until I set foot inside your father's school_.::

Her heart froze at his next words. ::_And it was the minute you accepted me and my face that I knew that I loved you_.::

Dark tendrils reached out for her, but Annora wasn't afraid. They gently wrapped around her body, pulling her towards him. She didn't fight them.

"Annora," he whispered, pulling her tightly against him. "Will you marry me?"

* * *

She should say 'no'. Technically, she had every right to, but then, did she _want_ to? Should she refuse this man, who loved her so dearly that he had crossed oceans (both physical and psychological) just to be with her? How does a girl case aside a man who was willing to change himself just to be near her, the woman he loved?

She couldn't. Annora knew she still loved him, and though her heart pitied what he had suffered through, her feelings went beyond that. She had never met a man who cared for her like Erik did; all the other males in her life were either family, or friends that were like family to her.

Erik was different. When he looked at her, it wasn't with the eyes of a father, an uncle, or an older brother. Even though he knew she could take care of herself, he still cherished her like a delicate, priceless treasure. He tried to make her happy because it also made him happy, too. He loved her.

What else could she say to that?

* * *

His worst fear was that she would rebel and fight, throwing her entire will and strength into breaking free of him. The last thing he would see of her might be Annora's glowing form vanishing into the caverns, escaping him for the last time. If (or when) that happened, he would die. There would be nothing worth living for if Annora left him.

But that was not happening. Instead, here they were within the strange, beautiful psychological plain Annora had created inside her mind. She was staring up at him with those brown eyes of hers, and there wasn't a sparkle of fear in them, not even after the question he had just asked of her.

"Yes," she whispered, startling him.

He stared at her. "Yes?" he questioned, wanting to be sure he'd heard right.

Annora gave him the most brilliant smile he'd ever seen. "Yes, Erik, I will marry you."

Not knowing what else to do, he hauled them off of the plain and back into their bodies.

* * *

It took Annora a moment to 'come to' in her physical body, and when she did, it was to the sensation of soft, firm lips pressed against her own. That wonderful, gentle mouth belonged to a man who loved her, had changed everything about himself just to be with her.

It was hard to believe that he had wanted her from the moment he'd seen her; love-at-first-sight wasn't supposed to exist, though Annora had always dreamed that it did. Erik had proved that it did; he'd left the safety of his home to travel across the ocean to be with her, and had given up everything he believed in to better himself in order to blend in.

'_And how many men would do that for a girl they'd seen just once_?' she thought, smiling against Erik's mouth.

She deepened the kiss, her arms lifting up to wrap around Erik's neck to pull him closer. He let her.

When they parted for breath, he looked down at her. "You said 'yes,'" he whispered. "Why?"

Annora reached out and pulled a lock of hair off of his forehead. "I do love you," she said just as quietly. "I've seen who and what you are, and in spite of your dark past and the crimes you've committed, you are a good man, Erik Garnier. You not only care for the students who look up to you, but you care for me the way I never thought a man ever would. You've made me feel special and loved in ways I've only dreamed about." She kissed the tip of his nose. "And I would love to be your wife."

* * *

Grinning, Erik leaned down and kissed his fiancé, relishing the fact that she would marry him. In the back of his mind, he wondered one small thing…

'_How is Logan going to take all of this_?'

* * *

AN: Well, there's the chapter! Another to follow, and an epilogue after that, and that's it. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!


	18. A Wedding

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: At last, the wedding! The next chapter will be the epilogue, and then I'm moving on to another story. Not sure which category yet, but if you've added me to your alerts list, then you'll find out soon enough. Thanks for reading, and please review!

**Chapter 18: A Wedding:**

Erik was certain Annora was going to change her mind once she realized she'd agreed to marry him. It could be that she wanted him to lower his guard so that she could fly away to freedom. So, to see if she would keep her word, Erik went to fetch a bottle of expensive wine he'd had Antoinette purchase for him last year. Whether Annora was still there in the bedroom or not, his question would be answered.

Miraculously, she was still there, long freed from the bonds he'd put on her. The nightgown he'd clad her in was too short, ending just above her knees and revealing a lot of leg…oh, goodness…

Swallowing harshly, Erik made himself busy with putting the glasses and bottle down on a nearby table. '_I really should have paid more attention to the gown when I took it_,' he thought, eyes focused on the bottle as he tried to open it.

Out loud, he asked, "Are you cold? I might be able to find something to fit you, if you need it."

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder, drawing his eyes up over to her. The little nightdress did fit her well, despite its shortness, and the lace around the V-shaped neckline gave her a delicate look.

'_It must have belonged to one of the divas and they never got around to retrieving it before or after they left_,' he babbled inside his head, trying not to stare at her revealing neckline.

"Erik, sweetie, my face is up here," she retorted, a hand waving in front of his eyes, directing his gaze upwards.

He blushed. "Sorry," he quickly apologized. "Um, about you being cold…"

She shrugged. "I'm alright. And I should tell you that I'm not much of a drinker. You know; mutant powers and alcohol don't mix very well. Destruction tends to follow whenever that happens."

"I must disagree with you about that," Erik told her, ready to pop the cork. "We French have no trouble with it. Perhaps you merely haven't the stomach for it."

Annora stuck her tongue out at him. "You're mean. But before you open that bottle, I think you should save it for when we tell my father about our engagement. He might like a glass of wine to celebrate."

Damn it, she was right. Sighing, he put the bottle down and turned to look at her. "Alright," he reluctantly agreed. "But let me find you something to wear before we head back to the Mansion. You father will never forgive me if I brought you back home in _that_ and nothing else."

A naughty smirk pulled enticingly at her mouth. "Oh, this is nothing. You should see what I wear to bed during the summer."

From the wink she gave him, Erik began to wonder how much, or how little, his beloved wore during the heat of summer.

* * *

Clad in an elegant dress from one of the Opera's storage rooms, Annora stood in front of her father, nervous as hell.

'_At least I'm dressed in something nice and appropriate_.' For that, she was very thankful.

It was a green knee-length garment in a style right out of her favorite movie, _**Pride and Prejudice**_. The material was light and airy, like a summer dress, and it was wonderful to wear. Erik certainly liked it, and promised to buy her a whole closet full of them.

And speaking of Erik…

From across the desk, her father was listening to her fiancé's explanations and apologies for what had happened less than twenty four hours before. The two of them had returned to the mansion an hour ago, teleporting through shadows into Annora's bedroom, where she'd telepathically contacted her father. After assuring him that she was fine and unharmed, she asked him to meet her and Erik in his private study.

Getting "alone-time" hadn't been easy for Xavier; -the X-Men had been latched onto him ever since he'd told them that Annora had been kidnapped. Somehow, though, Xavier had convinced them to leave him alone for a little while, shutting and locking the doors of his study for privacy. Once he was alone, she and Erik had teleported there as well. That was when the flood of apologies and explanations had started.

Annora shifted her eyes between the two men, silently wondering what was going on in each of their heads. She had a clue about Erik, since his hand had a death grip on hers, but her father's bland face had her worried.

'_It's almost like the time I'd broken one of his glass vases and tried to blame it on the wind_.'

Her father had listened to her babbling for about ten minutes, his eyes focused intensely on her face, before delivering her punishment. That face was eerily effective in causing fear and discomfort, and everyone in the school dreaded seeing it.

Finally, as Erik started on another apology, her father raised a hand to stop him. "You have said more than enough in your defense," Xavier bluntly told him. "And since my daughter doesn't look distressed, nor is she telepathically screaming for my help to save her, I think it is safe to assume that the two of you have worked out your differences."

Annora blushed. "I'm afraid you were right, Father. Erik did deserve a second chance at life, and now that I know why he had acted the way he did, I see that I should have all the facts before judging someone, just as you've taught me."

Her father quirked an eyebrow. "You should feel honored, Mr. Garnier," he said with a smile. "My daughter usually doesn't forgive so quickly. Are you sure she hasn't beaten you up already?"

She flushed even redder. "I know I'm one to hold a grudge," Annora admitted, "but after seeing and experiencing Erik's life through his memories, I can understand a lot about him. I wouldn't have believed him if he'd simply told me about himself, but living them almost first-hand is something else. And," Annora looked at the man beside her, "I truly do love him, Father."

Xavier sat back in his chair. "Well, you know I couldn't part with you any other way, my sweetest girl." He smiled. "You have my blessing."

Annora felt her knees go weak with relief. "Thank you, Father."

"Oh, don't thank me yet," he replied, "especially since _you're_ the ones who are going to be telling the rest of the X-Men."

Both she and Erik groaned.

* * *

Telling her foster family took a lot longer than one would think.

First, they were called in to the Professor's office one-at-a-time, where Xavier proceeded to give them the briefest of explanations before Erik and Annora filled in the rest of the details. Slowly, the X-Men came around and understood where everything now stood between the couple, though Gambit still had his doubts.

But their biggest problem could be summed up in one word: Wolverine.

Annora knew that things were going to be explosive (maybe literally), so she waited to tell him last. Her father agreed, and asked the other X-Men to not say anything to the hot-tempered mutant. They had reluctantly agreed, and went to wait in their rooms until Xavier summoned them.

It happened just as Annora thought it would: Logan entered her father's office, took one look at Erik standing there, and then the claws were out –literally. She could see the tension in Logan's stance, and as he sprang at her fiancé, she telekinetically caught him in midair, a maneuver she often used whenever she faced him in the Danger Room.

A low growl came from his throat. "Let me down, Halo," he snarled. "I've got a few pieces I need to take out of him before dinner time."

"You'll do no such thing, Logan," she snapped, not losing her grip on him. "Now, are you going to calm down and listen to what we have to say, or do I have to keep you up there until Father and Erik finish talking?"

He hesitated for a moment, clearly weighing his options, and finally nodded. Slowly, Annora gently set him on the ground, though she kept him wrapped up, just in case he changed his mind. To his credit, though, Logan did take a seat while the air was cleared between him and Erik, and when things were over and done, the tension in Logan's body slowly leaked out.

When things had gone quiet, Annora lowered the bindings she had put on Wolverine. Erik still looked prepared to defend himself, but she knew her foster uncle well enough to know that he had genuinely calmed down.

Sure enough, instead of instantly attacking Erik, Logan merely sat there, looking between her and her fiancé. "I don't like it, darlin', but if this is what you really want," he saw her nod at him, "then I guess I have to accept it."

Just then, he stood and unsheathed a single claw on his right hand. "But if you do anything to hurt her, I'll turn you into dog food so fast, you won't know what hit you."

Erik blanched as Annora smiled and gave Logan a hug. "Thanks, Wolvie."

He simply pressed an affectionate kiss to her forehead, giving her his unspoken approval.

* * *

Closing his eyes, Erik was doing his best to relax, a feat that wasn't easy for any man on his wedding day. Beside him, Scott gave him a reassuring clap on the shoulder as Logan smirked at his discomfort. He could almost hear the evil laughter going on inside of Logan's head; his delight at Erik's nerves was that obvious.

The back lawn (if the vast space could be called a 'lawn') had been selected to hold the momentous event, since it was the only place that could hold everyone who had been invited. The aisle was lined with hundreds of chairs and vases full of flowers, while several tents had been set up for the reception afterwards. Each and every chair was filled, which added to Erik's nervousness; he'd never been in front of a mob of people before, and if it'd been up to him, this would have been a very small ceremony.

But the guest list hadn't been left to _his_ care. Since he had no friends outside the school (except for Antoinette Giry, of course, who was presently sitting in the front row, weeping), Annora had been the one to make up the list and send out the invitations.

Erik hid a grimace. '_And wouldn't it figure that she have over a hundred friends all over the wide world_?'

The formalwear donned by the guests were an array of Indian saris, traditional Chinese silk dresses, African tunics and skirts, Scottish kilts, and a dozen others that Erik couldn't name. All of them had come for Annora, the one person who linked them all together. Some of those guests had become friends quickly, while others tentatively shook hands and made careful conversations, though all of them remained polite, if only for Annora's sake.

"There will be _no_ fighting of any kind," she'd firmly told them all as they arrived. Those same orders had been written down on the invitations, too, and all the foreign guests had agreed to stay peaceful until _after_ they'd left for their homes.

Still, the colorful and exotic look that they provided was striking. To Erik's left were the students of the school, most of them in pastel, muted or dark colors; to his right were the vivid reds, yellows, greens, blues, and several other bright colors, all cut in as many different fashions. It was striking how _different_ the two sides looked, but they were all linked together by the enchanting creature floating down the aisle.

Erik stared as Cyclops nudged him, a sign that he needed to start breathing again. It was hard to inhale, however, when an angel was coming towards him.

Her dress, a beautiful, ethereal white silk garment that trailed a foot behind her, was a work of art. The neckline and hem were trimmed with gold embroidery, and long flowing sleeves seemed to be made of gauze, the ends floating up and around her like mist. A veil was pinned to her head, but it was so fine that it barely hid her face from his eager gaze. Perched atop the veil was a wreath of white roses interwoven with gold silk leaves.

::_Breathe, Erik_,:: Professor Xavier whispered into his mind. ::_ Annora will never forgive you if you faint now_!::

Taking a breath, Erik saw the leader of the X-Men escorting his daughter, her hand delicately holding his as the wheelchair slowly rolled up the aisle. Xavier's serene smile matched the one Annora was wearing, except hers was far more joyful.

At last, she was there by his side. Professor Xavier took Erik's hand and gently placed Annora's fingers in his palm. Instinctively, Erik closed his fingers, taking in the sight of his beautiful bride.

::_You look stunning_,:: he whispered into her mind.

She blushed, her face suddenly aglow as her cheeks tinged with rose. ::_Thank you. And might I add that __**you**__ look very handsome_.::

His chest puffed a bit with pride; -she must like his wearing a tuxedo with his white half-mask. Erik had never worn a tux before, but if Annora wanted him to wear one in the future, he'd happily oblige.

In front of them, Beast cleared his throat. "Shall we begin?"

It'd been decided that the ceremony itself would be kept "in the family," and so Beast had been commissioned to oversee it. Besides, Dr. Hank McCoy was a neutral party, so there wouldn't be any sort of religious conflicts that might go against the beliefs of their guests.

Putting on his reading glasses, Beast looked at the note cards in his hands. "Since I am new at this, I hope you'll forgive any mistakes I might make." He looked at the first card. "Erik Garnier, do you take this lovely young woman to be your wife-"

"I do," Erik whispered, so softly that only Annora and Logan could hear. She smiled as Beast kept reciting from his cards.

"…as long as you both shall live?" the furry mutant concluded.

"I do," Erik replied, this time reaching quite a few more ears.

As Hank repeated the vows, Annora peeked up at Erik through her lashes and the thin material of the veil, teasing him. Swallowing, Erik felt his heart speed up as she replied "I do" to her vows.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife," Hank declared, tucking his notes away. "You may now kiss one another."

All Erik heard was a roaring in his ears as he lifted Annora's veil and pulled her into a kiss that left them both breathless.

* * *

Swaying to the soft music, Erik pulled his wife closer, his face donning something he'd rarely worn in his previous life: a full-fledged grin. Annora looked just as happy, her face lit up like the glowing sun as he twirled her, then pulled her in for a dip. She squeaked in surprise, and gasped as he pulled her back up.

"That was mean," she pouted, her teasing tone belying her words.

He smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Forgive me; I couldn't resist."

Annora rolled amused eyes. "Just for that, I'm going to be very harsh with you during your swimming lessons," she said in a threatening tone.

"Hmm," he muttered, leaning in close to her ear. "I believe the sight of you in a swimsuit will more than make up for that."

His lovely wife gasped as he nibbled her neck. "Erik, people are watching!" she whispered.

"And I'll bet Logan is throwing evil glares at me," he softly replied.

She laughed. "How'd you guess? Did you feel it burning into the back of your head?"

"Well, I _am_ telepathic," Erik smirked. "I can hear his thoughts all the way from over here."

"Hmm, me, too," Annora admitted. "Why don't we head out? I'm more than ready to get out of this dress; it itches."

Several wicked thoughts flooded his head as he swept her up (bridal-style, of course) and teleported them to their new bedroom, a room which, thankfully, was in a secluded hallway of the Mansion.

* * *

AN: Only the epilogue left!


	19. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with _**X-Men**_ or anything _**Phantom**_ related (which really bums me out). Only original characters are mine.

AN: Here it is, the end to the story. I hope that everyone enjoyed themselves, and will stick around to see what I write next. It could be another Phantom fic, or a Pirates story, but whatever it is, I hope to see some of you there. Thanks so much for reading!

**Epilogue**:

Perched in a chair, Erik sat and watched his wife play with their toddling daughter. They had called the little girl Emma, and she was the most adorable child Erik had ever seen.

'_Of course, I'm biased_,' he thought with a smile. It helped that Emma had Annora's dark hair and facial shape, though she had Erik's eyes. Still, she would likely be the image of her mother when she grew up.

On the floor romped a male kitten that Wolverine had brought home one day, claiming it was for Annora, but everyone knew was actually for little Emma. Annora had called the animal Buttons, because it was white with black button-sized spots all over its body. The toddler was too young to actually take care of the small feline herself, but the child was careful when it came to petting and carrying tiny Buttons around the house.

Actually, Erik was beginning to be a little suspicious about how close his daughter and her cat were becoming. Whenever Emma reached for Buttons, the kitten _always_ headed straight for his mistress. No matter how far away he was, or who was trying to distract him, Buttons always came when Emma wanted him.

'_She also never pulls his tail, never tugs his fur or pinches him_.'

Most toddlers would have had scratch marks on their hands, arms and faces by now, but not Emma. From the moment Buttons had been put before her, the kitten had taken to her. Erik was beginning to think his daughter was an early blooming mutant. Who knew how powerful she would become?

::_It's a bit early to be thinking of that_,:: Annora whispered telepathically. ::_She's still young, and it could be that she's just good with animals. It could also be just two babies bonding_.::

That was Annora: always thinking on the bright side. Not that she would mind having her children turn out as mutants; she would love them no matter if they were 'normal' humans or not. She merely thought that all options were possible.

At that moment, Buttons rolled over onto his back and curled up halfway, his front paws on his chest as his rear legs and rump lifted off the floor. Emma laughed and clapped her hands in that awkward, clumsy way that youngsters did, then reached down to pat the kitten on the tummy. Buttons mewed and wrapped all four paws around Emma's hand and forearm, apparently trying to wrestle with his owner.

'_No claws or teeth to be seen_,' Erik mused. Any other cat would have felt such treatment deserved a nip or a scratch by now.

"Now there is an adorable sight," Storm commented as she came into the room, a camera in hand.

None of the X-Men went anywhere without one, these days. It seemed that they were all determined to capture every moment of Emma's life, and were afraid of missing something. Even Logan, who usually disliked anything cute, had a cell phone with a camera in it, just so he could capture everything Emma did.

On the floor, Emma continued to play with her pet, the two of them speaking in universal baby squeaks, yelps, and in Emma's case, laughter. Erik had to remember to expose his child to more animals and see if they responded to her like Buttons did. If she was anything like her mother, Emma was a very special little girl indeed.

Erik had a feeling that life was going to be interesting.

* * *

AN: The End! I doubt I'll do a sequel, sorry. Everyone will just have to use their imaginations for what the future holds for Erik, Annora and their little girl.

Thanks to everyone for reading, and don't forget to put me on your alerts list(s) lists to see when I next post a story!


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